Thru Thick & Thin
by Lyla Domae
Summary: Four lonely years after they defeat the Scarlet Hand, Puck comes back to New York. How'll Sabrina take this after being so long without him? And is there really someone out there for everyone, even 14-yr-old Daphne? SERIOUS EDIT IN PROGRESS.
1. Snakes in the Rain

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Sisters Grimm nor any of the characters. I just love Puckbrina. Please have pity, it's my first Sisters Grimm fanfiction. Please review.  
But if I did own them, this would be in the last book and Mirror would not be the Master. YOU TRAITOR!!!  
But I can't change the fact that he betrayed them so he's most likely gonna be included in this fanfic. Grr...**

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**_1. Snakes in the Rain _**

**_Things I'll Never Say ~ Avril Lavigne_**

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**Sabrina's point of view...**

Plip, plop, plip, plop.

I stand in the pouring rain pondering thoughts of never-ending worry and doubt. Why in the world does everything have to be so complicated?

I know I loved him, I know I went as far as saying I truly cared about him. I even began having doubtful thoughts about myself not being good enough for him. Heck, he was the reason I got up every morning, the one whose mere presence filled my overbearing mind, the only living person I had left to trust after the Scarlet Hand took everyone away from me so long ago.

But can I even trust him anymore?

"'Brina, you okay?" asks the golden boy affront me, calling me by that childish nickname he never seems to tire of.

As I look up into his piercing green eyes, full of worry and care, I lose myself again. I get so entranced that nearly forget to answer. I curse myself many a day for the effect he has on me with a mere look, making me feel as if I can do anything.

"I'm fine," I say, looking away from his quite concerned face. Before I do, however, I see him nervously bite his lower lip in response to my whole body turning away from him. Who in their right mind could resist as angelic a face as that?!

"Puck, just leave it alone, would you?" Unmistakable pain leakes from my unexpected demand.

How many cold nights am I to spend alone, facing an empty armchair with only tears and a scratchy blanket for comfort? He's stayed away far too long. After we finally defeated the Scarlet Hand, dad decided he's had enough of Ferryport Landing and we all moved back to New York. But the boy before me now didn't even bother to call, to send me a message of sorts, or even drop by for a visit!

What was I to think? He may have been hurt! He may have died in agony, shame, or even loyalty! Or he may have forgotten all about me and decided to move on! Who knows what could have happened? And I, as usual, was left in the dark for years on end!

"'Brina, you know I had no choice! My mother took me away as well, as soon as she heard what happened! You know she never wanted us together to begin with! She heard that Henry took you, Marshmellow, Andy, and Veronica back home and since Faery is basically right down the block, my deranged mother took away my flute so I couldn't call my pixies and sent me and a few escort fairies to Baghdad, Asia! Asia, 'Brina! How in the world could I contact you from there? It's practically halfway across the world! And there's barely any civilization at all in Baghdad!"

"..." I speechlessly look up towards the weeping heavens. At least they know how I feel; miserable, left out, abandoned, unloved, forgotten only to be told otherwise after how many long years? The dark, ominously grim skies break apart every few seconds or so; cries escaping the grey, dingy clouds. Flashes of thunder lash out as we both stand underneath an abandoned built-in umbrella on the wet grass of Central Park. A few buildings can be seen just a few yards off, lost in the fog of rain.

We had arranged to meet here after so many long years of missing one another. The problem is, I don't know why I came when it is so obviously clear that I would be let down once again.

The rain poured around me, washing away the dirt of the world. Too bad it can't wash out my heart.

"'Brina, you know I still love you, right? I couldn't stop thinking about you, even when so many village girls kept flirting with me and inviting me over. Though I can see why; I'm absolutely gorgeous!" Hearing the old usual boasting, I can't help but laugh a little.

Proud of his work, the golden boy continues.

"Every time I saw one smile, it would remind me of your rosy lips curved in a smile, showing your dazzling white teeth that used to knock my heart out - and it still does, when you choose to let your emotions show and not cloud them in fear."

"Go on," says I, liking this new flattering Puck personality more than the one who used to pull pranks on me practically ever morning.

With a knowing smile, he continues.

"And every time I saw a girl flip her hair, looking at the water's reflection, it always brought me back to when you used to do that; when your hair shined like nuggets of gold in the sunlight... I still remember our first kiss, even if you say it never counted. How you looked absolutely speechless with surprise then nearly knocked the wind out of me! Do you remember? Really, 'Brina. I've never ever stopped loving you, even for a second! You've got my heart! Sabrina Grimm, my very soul is yours! I'll love you till pigs fly - Wait, pigs do fly. Then I'll love you even if Marshmellow goes goth and Henry admits to being a two-faced frog with an appetite of a bull!... The question is, will you?"

I look to my right only to see another empty space he left. A sharp feeling of panic pierces my heart, my very soul. It leaves me empty and chilled, like the heavens themselves had condemned and abandoned me. The rain continued to fall all around me, no longer washing or cleansing. It's as if the heavens were weeping.

And the next thing I know, I'm running after him like the fool that I am, sobbing and crying out his name.

"Puck! Wait!"

As he hears my pattering footsteps in the puddles, he turns around and suddenly we're both standing practically an inch apart, under a very hard downpour of August rain. I look deep in his bright, intense green eyes, take a deep breath to steady myself, and speak the truth, straight from my heart, the truth I've kept hidden for four long years.

"I do love you, Puck. I never have stopped, never. Even when I thought you had left me forever. Listen to me, I sound like a sappy musical!" I laugh at the mere thought. "But still, you don't know how much I missed you, how much I've loved you - "

But a gentle yet firm finger on my lips silences me, and he says, "Don't I?"

And the next thing I know, the single inch between us is gone and his lips are glued to mine in a long kiss. And who am I to object?

His arms crush crush me to him, one hand at my back, the other encircling my waist, and I pull him closer still with my arms around his shoulders.

The hand at my waist pulls me even closer until we are as entwined as two snakes in the rain. His lips catch mine once again, his sweet taste on my tongue, sending tingles down my spine. His luscious smell of peppermint and pine engulf me and I swallow him in, drunk beyond all reason. His soft lips massage mine in a fairly heavenly way that makes me think of summer nights filled with joy and peace, as my hands roam his soft, golden curls.

I nearly cry out in surprise as his lips suddenly leave mine and trace soft kisses down my neck. With each one he proclaims his love, sending shivers down my spine, and each is one is more stronger the bond than the next.

The next second his lips are on mine again and he whispers it one more time against the kiss while I nearly pull at his soaken curls.

Neither of us cares that anyone could see us. Neither of us care that we're both soaking wet. Both his hands at my waist, both my hands in his hair, the rain resumes it's celebration of two conjoined souls.

After a while, he breaks away and rests his forehead against mine, the usual mischievous grin I haven't seen in months etched against his angelic face. I assume I mirror his expression, for his grin - if possible - grows even wider. I spy a twinkle in his eye, and suddenly he's picked me up, thrown me over his shoulder, and we're both rushing through the rain while laughing like fools.

Pouring rain washes away past tears, leaving only joy in our hearts. Rings of our laughter rise over the loud pitter-patter, thru the thick, gloomy fog.

And still, the magic of musical droplets descend softly from the heavens above, cascading over us, the two most ecstatic and content beings in the world - Everafters or not.

* * *

**Thanx for reading!**

**And please have mercy! Tis my first lovey-dovey one-shot.**

**So what if it's a bit corny? And was way too OOC?**

**Please tell me what you think in a review, if you have the time.**

**I'll have the next chapter up soon.**

**Remember to review.**

**-Lyla =P**


	2. Final Fights and Realizations

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE SISTERS GRIMM SO DON'T SUE!!!**

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**_2. Final Fights and Realizations_**

**_New Devine ~ Linkin Park_**

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**Sabrina's point of view...**

I guess this is getting kind of confusing for you to keep up with so I'll elaborate.

You see, we've all changed in a way after battling the Scarlet Hand and finally defeating the Master.

Puck realized that life isn't all fun and games and the world isn't his playground.

Daphne finally figured out that life isn't all about happiness, rainbows, and ponies.

And yes, even if I don't dare admit it aloud to Daphne, I changed too. So others tell me. Daphne says I'm not as fun as I once was. But in my defense, war isn't all fun and laughs, if you get what I mean.

Of _course _no one could stay unscarred later! Imagine defeating killers and witnessing murders still in early teens. Would you be able to truly laugh again? At least after a few years?

I didn't think so.

But if so, have you yet witnessed what you thought was the murder of an innocent boy? And what if that boy was your own baby brother? And you couldn't do anything except stand there, petrified to a single spot on the ground, while--in your own eyes--he was murdered? What if it was the only way?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Flashback_

"_Andy_!" I yell.

Daphne, Puck, and I were breathless, following Pinocchio, Mirror, and Andy through the trees of the Dark Woods in Rapunzel's fairy-tale. All of us had to play parts in the story to get past the other fairy tales and plays and such.

Puck, Daphne, and I had to be the frog in The Frog Prince, toto in The Wizard of Oz, even the fairy godmother in Cinderella, and so many others while still chasing the Scarlet Hand. Now, we had just finished playing the Princess and the Pea when we found ourselves in a dark forest with a tower a long way off and aparently, from the stiff dress and long hair, Daphne was supposed to play Rapunzel.

And we knew that where the main story was supposed to take place was supposedly the main place of magic and so they all raced us here to complete the transition of their so-called Master's soul into Hanky's body. And let me tell ya, a LOT of Scarlet Hand members came into the book after their so-called Master.

"It's too late now, Grimms! You'll never defeat me! The transformation is nearly complete and soon, your little brother will be no more! Instead, I shall be him!-- That is to say, we shall be one! And I shall finally be able to escape this wretched prison!"

"Sabrina, what are we supposed to do now?" whimpers a terrified Daphne at my side.

"'Brina! Daphne! Where are you guys?" The voice is followed by its owner, and soon, Uncle Jake is standing a few feet away.

"Aw, now, Jakey! I had everything under control; but no, you just gotta barge in and save the day! I am the Trickster King and when I CHOOSE to be the hero--which isn't often since; let me remind ya, I am a indeed a VILLAIN who doesn't rescue little baby boys from evil mirrors--can you at least TRY to let me live in the moment?! Can you at least--"

"Puck!" we all shout, glaring at the fairy boy in midair. Realizing it's serious, he shrugs off the annoyance and lands back down.

"Well, what DO you suggest we do?" he asks, arms crossed against his chest in a very childish manner.

"By now, Mirror's probably more than halfway done with the transformation. We can a) try to stop the transformation now before it's too late and rescue Andy, or b) try to destroy him after the transformation is complete so he won't be able to get away along with the rest of the Scarlet Hand, or c) stand back and hope Mirror's plan somehow fails. All I can say here folks is that we're in a really tough predicament here."

"Uncle Jake, what's a pr--pre--predicament?" asks Daphne.

"Not now, Daph," he waves her off.

"Wow, this MUST be serious if you don't even have patience for your own niece!" accuses the stupid fairy.

"Puck," Uncle Jake warns.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh! It means trouble, Marshmellow," he clarifies to a confused looking Daphne.

"Uncle Jake, what did you mean by destroying him?" I ask suddenly. "You don't mean destroying him while he's still inside Hanky?"

"But that's only if the first plan doesn't work, right?!" asks a horryified Daphne. "I kinda like the last idea better."

"Yeah, I gotta agree with Marshmellow," Puck says. "Why don't we just wait here and see how everything turns out?"

"What happened to you? One minute you're all 'Stand aside, I'm the hero, let me fight!' and now you're all in scaredy-cat mode? Who are you and what did you do with Puck?" I accuse.

"What's it to you, Grimm? You're just jealous," that stupid fairy boy has the nerve to accuse.

"J-- W-- H-- Jealous?!" I scream, outraged. "Of what?! You know what? Just--just go and find a rock to crawl under and stay there for the rest of eternity, for all I care!"

"Hey, you two!" Luckily Uncle Jake's interruption came right before Puck could even think of a come-back. "We have a possible war on our hands here. So don't argue!"

"Uncle Jake, we won't have to kill Hanky will we?" my little sister asks.

"Marshmellow, don't worry!" says Puck. "Well, Jake?"

"Well..."

"'Well'?!" I confront him, enraged. "Whaddya mean, 'well' ?!"

"Grimm, it's done," says a speechless looking Puck, staring ahead.

"What's done?" I ask, completely clueless.

"It is DONE!" scream the crazed members of the Scarlet Hand.

"You IDIOTS! Right when we could have something, you've wasted time arguing and just plain talking! We could have at least cast a spell with one of your wands, Uncle Jake, or at least do SOMETHING!" I yell. How could they just stand there when baby Andy is barley even our brother anymore?!

"Don't blame all of us!" says Puck. "What about you? You were the one yelling the whole time! Remember, 'crawl under a rock and die' ?!"

"First of all, I never SAID die! And whaddya mean, yelling? And-- Hey! You were arguing too! In fact, you were the one--as usual, might I add--that kept interrupting Uncle Jake. And now Mirror's inside of Hanky!"

"Brina, the only thing we can do now is try to defeat the Master when he's in that form," Uncle Jake says quietly.

"But how?" asks Daphne, looking as bewildered as I felt.

"Well, the rest of Charming's army aren't far behind. We've all followed the Scarlet Hand members here in case a battle breaks out. Oh, here comes Poppa Bear and Snow."

"Miss White!" yells Daphne and suddenly she's in her old teacher's arms whispering incomprehensible words.

"What?! Jake, Daphne tells me you still haven't done anything and Mirror's already possessed Hanky's body!" accuses the beauty.

"Well..."

"Well, well, well, what?!"

Finally, he straightens up, last-minute bravery showing through. "Poppa Bear, can you and Little John try to hold off Nottingham and the Queen of Hearts?"

With a quick nod, they're off.

"Charming, can you and Geppetto go with Robin and his men and take care of the crowd up ahead led by Oz? And--"

"But--" interrupts Mr. Charming.

"What, Billy? Don't you want to help?" asks Snow, hands on her hips, Daphne at her side.

"Well, of course, but--" he flusters.

"There you go! Of course he'll help, Jake," she says, and so they head off and are soon out of sight in the thick woods.

"Good. Now, the rest of you, team up in groups and take different sides. Buzzflower, you and Mallobarb two groups to the front! Arthur, take your men around back. Beauty and Goldilocks, can you two take all the animals you can gather and go with them? Good. Brina, can you and Daphne stay here with Puck?"

"But we wanna help!" Daphne and I simultaneously scream above all the noise of the other Everafters as Puck says, "Hey, why do I always have to babysit when there's some action?!"

"Again with the bipolarness, fairy boy!" I say.

With a glare from Uncle Jake to silence us, he says,"You'll stay here because I do not want to be held responsible for your deaths just because you snuck here while your parents are home, sick with worry about you!"

"Where is cranky Hank by the way?" mutters Puck.

"I convinced him and Veronica to stay with Relda and Mr. Clay and some others back at the camp and fight the Scarlet Hand members there while we take care of the ones here and get you and your brother back safely. So, can I at least trust YOU, Puck, to not let them wander while I go deal with Mirror?!"

"Yeah, yeah," he mutters again with a bored stare and his arms crossed.

"Good. These stones all around you that I've put are protection crystals. No one can get in and no one can get out, unless the people INSIDE the circle move the crystals. So, you're safe for now. And NO, Sabrina! Stay here!" he says, and before I can say another thing, he's closed the circle with the last white crystal and disappeared in the trees.

Daphne, Puck and I are now alone in the small clearing. Since Ms. White went off with Charming, Daphne is even more depressed and looks about to collapse.

"Daphne," I say, instantly at her side. "He'll be fine. Andy'll be okay. Uncle Jake's going to take care of Mirror and defeat the Scarlet Hand with the other Everafters so we can finally go home in peace."

"But I don't wanna go back to New York City! I wanna stay in Ferryport Landing with Granny Relda and Uncle Jake and Mr. Clay and Ms. White and Puck and the rest of the Everafters," she mumbles into my side as she hugs me close.

"I know, I know, I do too. I just hope dad lets us stay and not run away again, like last time," I confess.

"Really, Sabrina? You wanna stay here?" she asks.

"Really, Grimm? I thought you hated all of us," accuses the fairy boy.

"Well, I don't anymore. You're all family to me. And yeah, Daphne, I do wanna stay, even if it means I have to fight with dad to do it."

A few minutes later, Puck says, "Well, what are we supposed to do now?"

"Well, Uncle Jake said to stay here," replies Daphne.

"But we should do SOMETHING!" I say. "We should be able to help."

"I agree!" says Puck, suddenly up 10 feet in the air.

"No, Puck! You should stay here with Daphne in case someone from the Scarlet Hand comes."

"What?!-- No! I am KING and if a king wants to fight, I say--"

"Well, I say put a sock in it! Uncle Jake said you had to protect us!" I yell.

"Yeah, BOTH of you!" he replies, landing back down and tucking his wings aside.

"Who do you think he'd rather have safe? None of us, or at least Daphne?"

"Well, Daphne, of course, but--"

"Then it's final! I'm going and you can't do a thing about it, then. And--"

"But, Sabrina, what if you get hurt? Or killed?" Daphne asks.

"Then at least you'll still be safe. You'll have Puck. And Puck, you better stay here with her or--"

"No! I'm going with you! I'll call my pixies and they'll watch over her!"

"But they're back in Ferryport Landing!"

"Sabrina, Sabrina," he says, shaking his head at me. "Don't you know by now that my pixies can follow me anywhere?"

"Well, yeah, but what if they get bored watching over Daphne and leave her here alone in this forest?"

"Oh, they won't do that." And suddenly, Puck takes out his flute and blows a few notes. After a few seconds, his pixies come out of nowhere and stand at attention. "Now, men, take good care of Miss Grimm here! You are to watch over her and make sure no one does her any harm! If I am to find out that you were lazy and didn't do your job, you better hope you did 'cause I have the WORST punishment ever that I didn't yet try out on Grimm here as a prank. And trust me, it's permanent. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" After a few murmurs and buzzes, a proud smile falls on Puck's face as the pixies sit on the ground all around a terrified Daphne.

"Puck--"

"Nuh, uh, uh! It's still my turn."

* * *

**Puck's point of view...**

I looked all around me.

Everyone was fighting for what's right, even if it meant death.

This was it, I realized, we were gonna die fighting the Scarlet Hand.

I swiftly untucked my pink fairy wings and spread them out for the fight after I tell Sabrina the truth, knowing that I at least had to buy time for some of the others to escape...especially her.

It was then that I faced the truth...that nothing had messed with my head...that no one had stolen my sense of truth. It was when I was surely about to die that I realized this. Everyone said that when you were about to die, things got clearer, things that you would never even guess to be true, you realize all of a sudden are actually true.

The same goes for me...I realized all of a sudden that...that I...that I loved Sabrina...and would protect her with my very last breath.

That being settled, I opened my mouth to tell Sabrina how I really felt about her, and knew that soon, I would be in the sky looking for trouble to mess with, and surely my doom...

* * *

**Sabrina's point of view...**

"Well, spit it out, we don't have much time," I say, staring at the fairy boy standing barely a few feet away from me.

"I know. So...if we do end up...dying..." He winces.

_Wait, what? Puck, wincing?! The Trickster King?! The villain whose name makes little children tremble in fear?! _

But before I can voice my thoughts, he says,"I just want you to know...if we DO end up dying..."

"Yeah, I think we've established by now that dying IS a possibility," I say, rolling my eyes, but the idiot fairy just waves off my sarcasm.

"Grimm...Sabrina...I just want you to know," he says, stepping closer with each word. "Sabrina...I love you," he admits, his striking green eyes penetrating my gaze.

"Yeah, well-- WHAT?!" I ask, completely bewildered and confused.

"Well, I've been thinking about it, and I've realized that the only reason I was teasing you and pulling pranks on you to make you mad all the time was because...well, because I...love.... you. Now, believe me, this isn't easy to say, seeing as how I'm staring at your hideous dogface."

"Don't push it!" I warn.

"Fine. I just wanted you to know that I DO care about you, if we die down there."

"If this is another joke--"

"Honestly, Brina, no joke," he says, holding up his hands a second.

Speechless, I convert my gaze to the ground and wait for the next thing he'll say. But instead of hearing more words, I feel a pair of soft lips on mine and suddenly he's kissing me in such a totally different way than our first kiss in his forest of a bedroom with monkeys-- sorry, "chimpanzees" all around us. And I can't help but think, this is Puck! PUCK!

But he's kissing me with so much tenderness and passion that I can't help but kiss him back. And soon, our lips are moving in such synchronization that I nearly melt and forget all about what's going on all around us until I hear a certain "Ahem" behind me that I let go and turn around to see Daphne there, lonely as ever, but with a wide grin plastered on her face.

Turning back to Puck, I see the fairy is as beet red as I probably am, averting my gaze for the obvious reason.

"Puck...*sigh*...I don't know. I mean, why know? Couldn't you have told me before all this?" I say, gesturing to all the fighting all around us in the woods.

"But...THIS... is why I'm telling you. I don't even want you to die! You shouldn't go off like that! But seeing as how I'm going to fight too, I have no choice but to let you go save your brother. Now, come on. We don't have much time."

More confused than I have ever been before in my life, I slowly turn away, hug Daphne goodbye, whisper a "take care" and run off after the pink gleaming wings into the night.

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Puck and I decided to split up; he wanted to go off fighting and I wanted to go help Uncle Jake fight Mirror and free Hanky. And so, while he took a left, I took a right.

After a few moments, I spot Robin Hood and his men up ahead, fighting with a couple of hobgoblins and Scarlet Hand witches.

Ha! Without their wands, those old hags are just as helpless as pet poodles up against a handful of ferocious lions!

To my right, Poppa Bear is wrestling with the Queen of Hearts._ Damn! That woman can take a fight!_

I run past Charming under a small cave crowded in between a couple of trees, his left arm being bandaged by Snow, and ask them where Uncle Jake went.

"Jake went through those trees over there, that way, to deal with Mirror and Pinocchio," Snow says, pointing behind her, deep within the Everafter Battle, where the Tower of the current fairy-tale princess lay, deep within the woods. Both sides were fighting all over the battlefields, injured ones laying on the ground here and there, being treated by a few fairies. "But sweetie, what are you doing here? You should be safe and back at the clearing with Puck and your sister. Jake said..."

But the rest of her speech fades out as I make my way through the trees, creep around a couple of fights, then shimmy around back to sneak through the tower's back door until I am standing in front of a long flight of stone steps, shivering from the surprising coldness of the room.

I hear voices and grunts coming from above and decide to investigate, slowly climbing the crumbling steps.

"You'll never defeat us now!" says a voice. "Not when we've already succeeded! As you clearly see, every knickknack you throw is completely useless! It can't even hurt a fly!"

As I finally reach the top, I see Pinocchio with Andy up on Aladdin's flying carpet, laughing manically at a strained Uncle Jake who's throwing so many different things at the villains from his huge trench coat which are easily dodged by the deranged lot.

"You'll pay for what you did to Briar, Mirror! How dare you even betray us?! We could have helped you! We could have done something!" he says as another potion misses its mark.

"We don't need your help, human!" Pinocchio spits out. "You never even wanted to help a few puny Everafters! Even when some asked-- but no, you all have your own problems to deal with!"

"That's NOT true!"

"Oh, you know it is! We Everafters can barely trust you Grimms anymore! You who let the Jabberwocky out a mere few years ago! You who even condemned your own father! Who practically handed him to his own death!"

"Hey, that was a LONG time ago!" Jake says, but I can see that last comment got to him.

"Ha! And now you are useless! No more potions to throw, I see. Eh, Jake? Guards, seize him!"

And suddenly, half a dozen of Heart's guards I hadn't even noticed came up and wrapped a strongly resisting Jake with a thick metal chain and tied him to a pillar need the back door.

Now what am I supposed to do--

Hold on; BACK DOOR! I can sneak through the back and help Uncle Jake escape! And thanks to my baby brother's diaper stage, Pinocchio was too preoccupied by the smell to notice me.

"Hey, Uncle Jake!" I call out to him after carefully closing the back door.

"Brina, what are you doing here?! I told you to stay with Puck and Daphne! Ugh, Hank's gonna kill me!"

"It's okay, Uncle Jake, Daphne's fine--Puck's pixies are guarding her--and Puck's out fighting with some Scarlet Hand members. As for us, well, I'll bust you out and we'll defeat Mirror together," I suggest, whole-heartedly.

With a sigh and a few short minutes, he gives in.

"Okay, Brina, look in my trench coat over there and see if you can find anything," he says, and the next thing I know, I'm surrounded by knickknacks and watnots, all stuffed in the hundreds of pockets of the huge, over-sized, brown coat. Wands, a pocket knife, a couple of bottles of thick multi-colored liquid he must have missed, twenty rings, nine amulets, a couple key rings, and so many other things practically overflowed every pocket sewn into the old coat.

"Uncle Jake, which one? There are nearly a million things in here!" I stage whisper in his direction.

"Look for the silver ring with the emerald crystal in it."

"I can't find it," I say, looking around all the rings frantically. "There's ruby rings, sapphire ones, even a black pearl one, but I certainly do NOT see a-- Oh! Here," I say, tossing him the ring quietly through the dark as some guards turn away.

As soon as the silver ring is on his finger, he swiftly slips out of the metal bonds and I stare in wonder, questioningly, at his "Hudini" escape.

"It's a flexibility ring. Basically, it lets the wearer obtain snake flexibility and escape out of any box, ropes, chains, or traps of any sort. Now hand me the coat," and when I do, he slips off the ring and tucks it away in an inner pocket then dons the coat.

"What now?" I ask, terrified of the guard that had spotted the escape and were now making their way towards us.

"Run, Brina!" says my worry-wort of an uncle.

"No! I'm staying with you! You ARE gonna fight Mirror, aren't you?!"

"Yeah, but-- Fine, just stay behind me," he says, as he sees my hands on my hips.

"Decided to intrude, dear Sabrina?" says Pinocchio, apparently done changing his master. "Well, you Grimms sure aren't escaping this time! Guards!"

But as soon as the cards reach us, Uncle Jake takes out a ruby amulet, taps it twice, and out comes a gleaming force-field that instantly surrounds us. My first thought as the guards came nearer was that we're toast, but as they all gradually fell unconscious from the force of the rosy bubble hitting their faces, I laughed.

Soon, all the cards were wiped out, too tired from battling the forced-field to get up.

"Why, you...you...conniving nitwits!" yells Pinocchio.

"That's us!" I call cheerfully.

"Well! You may have defeated our guards but you certainly won't be able to stop us from escaping this wretched place!"

Suddenly, I feel the color draining from my face as I realize what he says is true.

"Uncle Jake, what do we do now?"

"I'm working on it, Brina, I'm thinking... Ah!" And when I look down I see him gripping a small dagger with a silver handle, gleaming like a star.

"What's that?" I ask, pointing at the curious object in his hand.

"It's a Soul-Freeing Athame--basically self explanatory. It sucks the souls out of people and stores it inside the handle until the user decided to free the souls. It's dangerous in the hands of evil, but proves to be valuable and powerful the few times I HAVE used it. And let me tell ya, they were dark and helpless times, only when nothing else has worked."

"What are you gonna do with it?" my brainless self asks.

"I'm afraid one person can only use it 5 times. I've already had my fair share of soul-sucking. So by now, it's useless for me. But you..." he says, scratching his chin.

"Me, what?"

"You might be able to do it..."

"What? Suck the soul out of my own brother?! No, thank you, mom would kill me!" I say, outraged.

"It wouldn't be Andy's soul; you'd be sucking Mirror out him!" he explains, softly.

"Of COURSE!" I say, eyes gleaming with understanding. "Now, what exactly do I have to do?"

"What are you Grimms plotting now?!" asks a suspicious Pinocchio.

"What, we can't say simple goodbyes before our deaths by such a powerful man?!" I ask innocently.

"Oh, very well! You have a few seconds before you draw your last breath!"

"It's pretty simple; you just have to drive it in his heart, all the while gripping hard on the handle--quite important--then after the athame gleams a soft shade, extract it slowly in order not to harm your brother and take it back to me."

"But what if something happens to Andy?!" horrified me asks.

"Nothing will happen as long as you do EXACTLY what I said. Now, I'm gonna create a distraction for Pinocchio so you can sneak near Andy."

"Uh, Uncle Jake?"

"I told you, Brina, you have nothing to worry about."

"No, I mean, the force field is still up."

"Oh, " he says, and so he taps the amulet thrice and the rosy bubble disappears. "Sorry about that. Now, as soon as you hear my signal, run over to Hanky and do what I said."

"What's the signal?" But he's gone before the first word.

_Dang it! Now what?_

After a few suspiciously quiet minutes, I decide to investigate.

But before I can take two steps, I hear a "cockadoodle doo!"

After a few brainless seconds wondering where the rooster came from, I realize it's Uncle Jake's signal and run towards a confused looking Andy.

Carefully, though quite nervous about making the wrong turn and ending his life, I plunge the dagger through his heart. I wait for a few minutes, and then Andy's out cold while the handle is practically screaming from whiteness. As I slowly remove the dagger, I see a pool of blood seeping from Andy's pj's, and I'm suddenly sweating with worry.

_Did I do it right? Is Andy alright? Did I kill him?_

But before I can think another thought, Uncle Jake is behind me, picking Hanky up and telling me that we better hurry before Pinocchio wakes up from the spell he put on him.

And so I run after him, down the steps of the tower, dagger still in hand, all the while not knowing where I am, just wordlessly following, worrying if Hanky's life was truly just stolen by his oldest sister.

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**A/N:** Thanx for reading!

I'll try to update soon! Sorry if there's some errors. I was typing up this chapter OD late last night, couldn't go over it because my mom was threatening to throw my laptop out the window! So now I've fixed the ones that were brought to my attention.

Thanx so much to **IKidnappedSpock, sistersgrimmaddict, MOLLy 3, Daramqueenruling, Bluestocking inc., MoodyRuby227, FaminaSG, carly, Ayns and Sky, ladedalada, Unique-ness is Happiness, TheSecretWeasley5147, obsessedwithbooks, Lchick354, iD Sisters Grimm iD, Lara D, and ZOMBIEfiedCrayons **for reviewing! Thanx so much you guys! Reviews really bring up my day!

To "**carly**" if you're reading this: RAIN DOES TOO GO PLOP PLOP PLOP!!! And sorry if the writing's too fluffy for you but the previous chapter was SUPPOSED to be like that!

(That also explains why it was too OOC, too.)

To **iD Sisters Grimm iD**: Yeah, i agree, it WAS pretty sad but, same as being OOC, it was MEANT to be that way. ^^

And special thanx to **Ayns and Sky** for sending me a PM on the MANY typos! ^^

So, remember to review!

I expect reviews to get up to at least **25** before I update!

Please?

~Lyla ^^


	3. Forever

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE SISTERS GRIMM!  
Now read on!**

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_**3. Forever**_

_**Your Guardian Angel ~ Red Jumsuit Apparatus**_

* * *

_Continuing from last chapter--the Everafter War taking place inside the Book of Everafters..._

**Puck's point of view...**

"Fool," the Cheshire Cat smirks as he tries to land a scratch on me for the seventh time.

Left, right, then left again, I dodge his pathetic jabs.

_Ha! Grimm should see me now! The Trickster King fighting a giant feline and not one blow has made it's mark!_

And suddenly, so quick that he didn't even see, I change into a gorilla and sit on the idiot until he's practically wheezing!

"Who's the fool now, Cat?" I taunt.

After taking on a few more goblins, Glinda the (not-so) Good Witch, and a giant talking rooster, I look around and see that the fighting spirit is fading from both Scarlet Hand members and soldiers from Charming's army.

_I wonder where Sabrina and Jake are now?_

Then, as if on cue, I see them making their way across the grounds with Andy in Jake's arms.

_About time! Though, I still can't believe Veronica decided to name him Hanky! What about Robin G. Junior? Or Alexander the Great? No idea who that is, just remembered him from a book we had to read at school. Well, if you define "read" as tear into a million pieces and flush down the nearest toilet._

"Attention! Members of the Scarlet Hand!"

I look over to the voice and see an unarmed Jake standing in a clearing in the middle of everyone.

_Well, as much as I still hate him, you gotta admire his bravery. Or cowardry. He's gonna be dead in five seconds flat if he doesn't get out of there soon!_

"We have defeated your Master and now you have no reason to be here!"

_Oh_.

"Besides, you're all outnumbered!"

_Huh? Heck, he's right!_

"Now, you all have a choice to make!" he says, raising his voice over the murmuring between the villains and good guys alike. "You can either hand yourselves in and King Arthur will decided whether you go to jail or resume living peacefully in Ferryport Landing, or run for the hills where you will never be bothered or expected to bother anyone again!"

_Again with the murmuring and bickering! Is that what they used to teach them when they went to Everafter School back east?_

"How do we know you speak the truth and won't come after us in the dead of night?" asks a man who looks the exact definition of "pirate".

_If he wasn't a bad guy I would so ask for his autograph!_

"Because we swear not to bother you or come after you with intentions of killing! Since Heart can no longer be mayor--that is, unless she renounces her Scarlet Hand ways, of course,"

"Not on your life, Grimm!" snarls the old hag.

"Well, since you can't govern Ferryport Landing anymore, there'll be an election to determine the next mayor. When he or she is appointed, a law will be passed denying Everafters any right to cross the boundary between the woods and the town! Now, if you want to have a chance at your old life again, come with me and the rest of the soldiers from Charming's army! If you'd rather live far off, you're dismissed to the door in the tower, which I am fairly sure is the exit! And you better not show up or harm any of us ever again! Now, Charming, I would like to discuss something with you."

Seeing as I'm not needed here anymore, I pull out my wings and shoot to the sky.

* * *

Sabrina's point of view...

As I make my towards the medical tent, I can't help but think I've killed the baby lying motionless in my arms.

What's Mom gonna do when she finds out her only boy is dead?

What's Dad gonna do when he finds out I may have accidentally killed him?

How'll this affect the already-wrecked relationship between Daphne and me?

She'll probably think I did it on purpose, for some reason. Or worse, blame even though I didn't mean to cause my only brother any harm.

Oh, what'll I do?

As I hand Andy to Ms. le Fay, I think about what would have happened had the Scarlet Hand never kidnapped our parents and taken our, at the time, unborn brother.

We would have been safe; we would have been better off.

But would we have been happy without knowing all about our ancestors; without the pride of our Grimm legacy on our shoulders?

Or would we have always wondered what was missing from our twisted reality?

* * *

**Daphne's point of view...**

_Sitting on a small hill top surrounded by a bunch of murmuring, blubbering, bickering, pesky, noisy pixies picking at my hair and biting my hands is SO not how I wanted to spend my afternoon!_

_Let me tell ya, Sabrina better come back soon!_

_Speaking of--_

"Daph! Yo, squirt, where are ya?"

_That is obviously NOT Sabrina!_

"Puck! Your stupid pixies are mucho annoying-o! Make them go away!" I whine, staring at him with my big moon eyes after opening the crystal circle that surrounding me and the pests.

_Who in the world can rightfully resist my puppydog face? Even Sabrina said she couldn't!_

"Aw, now, marshmellow, they're just havin' a bit of fun!... Oh, fine!" And with that, he takes out his wooden flute, blows a fewhigh notes, and soon, the feeling of uneasiness leaves me as the pesky flies hop off my arm and up to salute their master.

"Thanks!" I say, taking his arm as he helps me off my feet. "Where's Sabrina?"

"She's back near the tower with your Uncle Jake and the rest of Charming's army. Did you hear, Jake's letting those pathetic Scarlet Hand members live with us back at Ferryport Landing, as long as King Arthur says they're 'safe'? Ha! I wouldn't trust them with a penny if I were him!"

"But why would he do that? Those evil people have been nothing but trouble! They killed Briar, Frau Pffinkiffurewatta--"

"Pfefferkuchenhaus."

"Yeah, her, and so many other people! Sometimes, I just wish there were no such things as Everafters!"

"You don't mean me too, do ya, Marshmellow?" asks Puck, hands on his hips, a boyish pout on his face.

"Uh...no...I didn't...that's not-- Ugh! Puck, that's not what I mean and you know it!" I say.

Silence follows.

"Now that one of the people I trusted most betrayed me, I'm not sure who to trust anymore..." I admitt, hugging my knees to my chest.

"Daphne, Puck, where are you guys?" a faraway voice yells from behind the trees.

_Sabrina!_

"It's your sister!" Puck says. And suddenly, Sabrina makes her way out of the trees as I make my way over to give her a big hug.

"Oh, there you--_ Daphne... can't... breath!_"

"Sorry," I say, stepping away, a sheepish grin on my face.

"I never said you could stop!" she complains with tears starting to fill her eyes.

_This must be serious; Sabrina never shows her emotions so freely, _I think.

"Sabrina, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

She nods against me and crouches down so we're both holding each other tight.

"Brina! Daphne!" yells Uncle Jake.

"Uncle Jake, what happened? Why's Sabrina crying?"

"Daphy, there's something you need to know; though I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you."

"Why not?"

"You probably need to hear this from your parents."

"Tell me now!" I say. "By the time we get back, you'll be telling them then they'll have to tell me! Why waste time and not just tell me the truth?" I demand, hands on my hips.

"Fine" he sighed."Well...we think maybe there's something wrong with Andy."

"WHAT?! What happened? Where is he?"

"He's with Morgan le Fay. She's trying to figure out why he's still unconscious. She's..."

But the rest of his speech fades out as I run through the trees, past concerned Everafters, and around their battle-tents until I get to the medical one, tears blurring my vision.

"Ms. Le Fay? Where are you?" I call. At the same time, I hear a familiar voice call out behind me, "Marshmellow!"

"Oh, Daphne," says Nurse Sprat, all dressed in white, coming out the tent. "Ms. Le Fay is inside with your brother. Would you like to see him?"

"Yes, please," I answer politely, sniffing and wiping my eyes on my sleeve as she leads me in.

Inside, the tent is very similar to a small hospital wing with four cots and a few medicine cabinets. A rocking chair sits in the middle with Ms. Le Fay holding a small bundle of blankets in her arms. Looking closer I realize it's Andy, sleeping as softly as a baby can.

"What happened?" I ask. "Uncle Jake said Andy's 'unconscious'! But he's just sleeping!"

"That's what unconscious means, young one."

"Daphne! There you are!" I turn and see Puck tucking his pink, sparkling wings.

"Puck, what are you doing here?" I ask, annoyed that he would interrupt such a serious moment.

"Well, you just ran off! I had to make sure nothing happened to you! We JUST defeated the Scarlet Hand and you ran off! You--"

"So what happened?" I repeat, turning back to my brother, tears threatening to flow out.

"Jake told me that when your sister took out the Scarlet Hand's master's soul out of him, something happened, and I haven't been able to wake him up," Ms. Le Fay starts off. "I think he may be in a coma since his soul has been tinkered with. A soul is a very delicate thing indeed, and when Mirror got inside him, Andy's soul was pushed deeper within him. I'm afraid we have to wait until he regains it and wakes up on his own. It may take hours, days, weeks, months, even years!"

Speechless and watery eyed, I make my way towards Andy until we're practically inches apart. _How could such a horrible thing happen to such an innocent little boy?_

"Wow," says Puck. "Wait till Sabrina hears this. And your parents, marshmellow. They'll be devastated!"

Too tired to ask what the word means, I plant a soft kiss on Andy's rosy cheek then lean on Puck, allowing tears to flow freely down my face as he held me tight and lead me out of the tent and across the fields.

There, Uncle Jake and a sad-looking Sabrina were pointing the Scarlet Hand members through the secret door in the tower, out of the Book of Everafters.

_Well, as Sabrina says, good riddance!_

* * *

**Sabrina's point of view...**

As Daphne explained what happened to Andy, I listened with a heavy heart.

_How could something so terrible happen to such a sweet baby boy? And he hadn't even met his own mother yet!_

_Oh, if I ever get my hands on Mirror, I'll make him wish he was never created! Then we wouldn't even be in this mess! We would still be in our apartment in Manhatten with a new baby brother!_

_But if Mirror wasn't created, we would_ _never have met Puck._

I don't really understand my feelings for the fairy boy. Sure, I knew we end up married in the future. At first I thought there must not be many men later on, but now, I'm not so sure that's the reason we end up together.

Sure we call each other stink-pig and pus face, but who wouldn't fight with an annoying fairy boy who puts a tarantula in your bed or booby-traps his bedroom door with tubs of glue, buttermilk, and bread-and-butter pickles that are thrown at you when you enter unbidden?

_Still, he is kinda sweet sometimes._

I remember the time when he handcuffed our hands together and assigned himself as my personal bodyguard just because I wouldn't work with his "security staff". Yeah, it was torture to be pulled along by a boy who doesn't understand the meaning of the word "bath" but it was worth it to hear what he really thought of me...

* * *

_Farther Flashback (expert from Book 6: Tales from the Hood, Chapter 8) ..._

At the end of another long day, after Uncle Jake dashed off to a late dinner with Briar Rose, Granny suggested everyone else get some sleep. She was sure tomorrow would be a big day in Mr. Canis's trial, perhaps even the day her old friend would be freed.

Daphne, Puck, and I said goodnight to Granny Relda and Elvis and climbed the heavy steps to our bedrooms. Daphne said goodnight to Puck while I waved half-heartedly, thinking I'd send him to the hospital with a ruptured testicle if he tried to put horse manure in my pillow again. Unfortunately, in the midst of my evil plans, I was literally dragged along with him.

"Oh, I forgot about you," Puck said, eyeing the handcuffs he bound us in only this morning.

"What are we supposed to do, fairy boy?" I cried. "We're not sleeping in the same bed." I shuddered_._ Whoever could survive a minute sleeping with the idiot fairy without exploding from his stench would be a skeleton! Not even!

"Who cares about that? I'm going to have to go to the bathroom eventually," Puck mumbles. I didn't even want to think about that!

"He could sleep on the floor in our room," suggested Daphne, not caring what they do as long as she gets her "beauty sleep".

"I'm not sleeping on the floor. I'm royalty!" Puck declared as he puffed up his chest. "Sabrina can sleep there." What?!

"That's not going to happen," I answered almost instantly.

After a while, Puck huffed and frowned. "Fine, come with me."

He led us down the hallway to his bedroom. The door was covered in signs: DEATH AWAITS ALL WHO ENTER HERE! and WARNING! FALLING ROCKS! There was also a picture of a kitten, with the words CUTENESS WILL NOT BE SPARED! Puck pushed open the door and impatiently ushered us inside.

I had been in Puck's room before, but it never ceased to amaze me. It wasn't like any bedroom I'd ever seen before. The night sky was the roof, the forest ground the floor, and a trickling brook led to a lagoon in the distance. The chirping of crickets and the rustle of woodland animals drifted across the air like a lullaby.

The room was magical, and from what I could tell, endless. Who knew how far the water rolled downstream? If you followed it, would you find an ocean at its end? I didn't know for sure, though I definitely wondered about it from time to time.

Puck dragged us down to where the room's serene beauty ended abruptly. There, we found a path littered with broken army men and parts from old skateboards and microwaves. I nearly stepped into a dozen of half-eaten birthday cakes. Ugh!

We climbed up an embankment, were we found a trampoline. A panda bear was sound asleep on its surface. Puck shooed it away and it staggered off, looking for somewhere else to sleep on, barking and growling growling grumpily with each step. Huh.

Puck helped Daphne onto the trampoline, then extended his hand towards me. At first I was reluctant, but I knew he's half asleep and probably wouldn't remember being nice to me in the morning. So I snatched his hand before he could throw a fit at me staring at him like a complicated math problem, though I caught Daphne's slightly sleepy grin out of the corner of my eye.

Before I saw the future, I wouldn't have thought twice about taking his hand, except to remember to wash later with generous amount of antibacterial soap and a wire brush. But now that I knew we end up together, well...

"I love it!" Daphne cried, jumping up and down and bouncing like a ball.

"Good to know," Puck grumbled, scratching his butt with his free hand that I had touched only a few seconds ago. *_Shudder*_. "My only concern is making sure you two are comfortable. Now, go to sleep and leave me alone."

Puck lay down, forcing me to do the same. I tried to nudge as far away from him as possible, feeling entirely uncomfortable. Fortunately, Daphne decided to nestle between us, her head at the tips of our fingers. The handcuffs forced us to sleep on our backs and it was hard to get comfortable. Each time I nearly drifted to sleep, I felt Puck's hand drag mine's this way and that and finally settled on simply resting, knowing sleep was out of the question.

And so I closed my eyes and lay still, listening to the bubbling of the lagoon in the distance.

"You awake," Puck asked a while later.

"Yes," I answered, with thick sarcasm in my tone. Our voices seemed loud in the open air.

"When are you going to tell her what you did?" I can't believe he had the nerve to even ask that question! Sure, he helped me sneak the weapon out of the bank, but who was he to question me about what goes on between my sister and what doesn't? He shouldn't even know I stole the key from Daphne in the first place, let alone having the kazoo at all!

"Maybe you should mind your own business."

And to that, the fairy boy laughed. "As if I could around this place. Every time I turn around the two of you are facing down death--monsters, robots, dragons. Saving your butts is a full-time job."

All his tone did was start up an argument. "Then why don't you go back to being a villain? I liked you a lot better when you weren't trying to save us." Now, I knew deep down in my heart that wasn't true. But arguments always bring out the worst in people.

"I'll go back to being a villian if you go back to the way you were," he said.

"And how was I, Smarty Pants?"

"For one, you were honest," Puck said.

His words were like a slap to the face and I instantly felt my cheeks grow hot. Who was he to tell me how to be a good person? Wasn't his name the Trickster King? He'd been treating people like chumps for four thousand years. "You're one to talk," I retort, though his accusation had brung me down a bit.

Puck chuckled. "I am a lot of things, Sabrina--mischievous, mean-spirited, gassy--but they don't make me a bad person. They make me immature. You, however, are skating very close to the line. You stole from someone who trusted you and then you lied about it."

Hearing him say that made me want to get up and storm away, but I knew the handcuffs wouldn't let me. I was forced to hear this sermon about good and bad, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. And yet at the same time, I couldn't help but wonder whether my ears were going haywire or did he just call me by my first name and not Grimm like always? After a while, I decided it didn't matter.

"I did what I had to do. Daphne would never have gone to get the weapon. Mr. Canis could eat granny, Elvis, and half of Ferryport Landing and she would still totally trust him. I'm the only one that sees what he's becoming."

"Who's arguing with you about that? It's obvious to most of us that furface is in trouble. I won't even say you're wrong about wanting to do something about it."

"Then what's the lecture for?"

"The lecture's because the way you are going about these things kinda stinks. It's all nice and noble of you to want to do the right thing, even if I do think it's stupid. But if the only way to make something good happen is to do something bad, then maybe it's not worth it."

It was unbearable to look at him, and so I turned my face to the dark forest instead.

"But what do I know? I'm not supposed to be a good person. But you are. You're Sabrina Grimm and your sister worships you. You're supposed to be a good role model to her. Don't you think it's kind of odd that the Prince of Juvenile Delinquents is teaching you right from wrong?"

I silently mulled over Puck's words as I lay in the dark, looking at the bright stars above us. I wondered if he might not be right. I knew I had betrayed Daphne, but at the same time I realized that I didn't really care about her opinion. I'd been in charge of both of us ever since our parents disappeared and things had worked out just fine. If I had let Daphne vote on our futures, the two of us would be in a heap of trouble.

"By the way," Puck said softly. It had been an hour since he had last spoken and I was startled to hear him still awake. "You don't need the make up."

I felt my face grow hot for the second time this night; except this time, it felt like it was on fire. He knew about my late-night beauty sessions. And, if I heard him correct and my ears aren't truly going to the dogs tonight, he was also admitting he thought I was pretty.

Something in me made me look over at him and found he was looking over at me, and I was sure that past the darkness, his face was as beet red as mine.

"I kinda wish I hadn't said that," he said.

"Me too," I replied, though something inside me demanded I thank him.

Did I truly like Puck?! Or was this just another phase of growing up? Ms. White had said to come to her if I had any questions about puberty, though I didn't really feel like I could discuss something as private with an Everafter, even if she was Daphne's favortie teacher.

She had said something about how hormones would make people do things. This must be what she was talking about.

"Would it help if I said you were a stinky, muck-covered, toad-face?" asked the fairy boy a few seconds later.

Not trusting myself to speak, I just nodded silently and edged as far away on the trampoline as the handcuffs allowed. I was pleased when Puck did the same.

But was I truly?

Definitely the hormones talking. But the next thing I knew, I was asleep.

* * *

_Flashback Ends; now back in the Book of Everafters..._

"Brina!" yells a voice far off.

For now, I am laying on the grass, hugging my knees close and waiting for my uncle to finish "discussing" a few yards off so we can all go home.

All around us, loved ones were embracing, thankful that they're finally safe. Daphne was back at the medical tent, helping Morgan le Fay with Andy.

"Brina!" the voice says again.

_Is it Uncle Jake? No, the voice is higher. More boyish. Reminds me of forests and honey. And the **smell**; mud and pine. Puck._

"Puck, since when have you called me 'Brina'? I've always been 'ugly' or 'dogface' to you." I accuse, turning away so I wouldn't have to face the fairy boy.

"Well, as much as I want to forget that an hour ago ever happened, it still did. And after a while of thinking on it--fighting goblins, witches, ferocious animals..." he trails on.

"Puck, the Cheshire Cat is not a ferocious animal!"

"Have you seen that evil feline! He's twice my size and--according to my own eyes and the fairy tales--he can change into whatever he wants! Luckily I was fast and strong enough to stop him before he could do anyone any harm!"

"Cocky as ever, I see."

"You better believe it!" he says. "... Sabrina, I just want you to know that I... that I meant every word I said back in the circle... I DO like you--"

"You said 'love'," I point out quietly.

"What?"

"I said, back in the forest, you said you loved me. Regret your proclamation?"

I turn around to face him but instantly stop; the idiot's barely sitting an inch away and now we're staring eye-to-eye.

"Of course not. I just need time registering the fact that I'm in love with my sworn enemy, that's all," he says softly.

"Yeah, well, it ain't so easy on my part either, fairy boy," I admitt.

"I still can't believe we're married later on. You did say that, right? I was wondering why my very handsome older self said you'd be important to me in the future..." he says, staring off into space and finally freeing my eyes from his capturing gaze.

_Since when does he have such an effect on me? It must be the hormones again. Yeah, that's it._

"I can't believe I'm gonna say this," he mumbles to himself quietly. Taking a deep breath, he says, "Honestly, even though I'm gonna have a hard time getting used to the idea... I'm here if you need me..." he mumbles the last part.

And I honestly don't know why I did it, maybe the hormones again, or what he said, or the romantic fairy-tale energy all around us, but carefully and quite boldly too, my head softly lay down on his shoulder.

At first I felt him tense up and take a deep breath ready to proclaim that he's a king, and kings don't comfort crying uglies. But after a few seconds, he relaxed and leaned into me too, extending his arm around my shoulder, and began to delicately play with my hair as I softly hummed a lullaby with which Mom used to sing me to sleep before Daphne was born.

Him just being there kinda helped; helping me get over the fact that everything's gonna be different now. Everything's gonna change. Forever.**

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**A/N: **So guys, what did y'all think?

Yeah, I know, a bit too OOC. But we're not all Michael Buckley here so don't complain.

Although, if you complain in a review, I won't mind. ^^

Though I did copy the part labled as 'further flashback' word-for-word. Well, I changed and added a few parts but it cant be considered plaigerism if I include a refrence.

**REFRENCE:** (Buckley, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205) from book 6 and (Buckley, 208) from book 5.

Special thanx to all who reviewed.

**Also, I expect 35 reviews before I update the 4th chappie.**

Nothing else so...

Ciao for now!

~Ly ^^


	4. Cloudy With a Chance of Laughs

**Disclaimer: yeah, yeah, yeah, I DO NOT OWN THE SISTERS GRIMM!!!!!!!****  
If I did I would sell it for an unlimited supply of MARSHMELLOWS!!!  
jk, jk!**

**But I do own Stacy, Hayley, PJ, and Ryan!!!! ^^  
(You'll find out who they are sooner or later) **

**A/N: **I got Writer's Block writing Puckabrina and had pity on Daphne who at the time had no one in her life, so I decided to write a few chapters about Daphne and her point of view on everything. If you like this chapter, then maybe I'll end up making this a Sabrina G. & Dapne G. fanfic!

You decided. Though I doubt it cuz most fanfiction Sisters Grimm readers like reading fanfics cuz of the Puckabrina. So...eh...idk.

Sorry for those who I've promised a Puckabrina in the 4th chapter, but I think that will definitely be the 5th. The 6th chapter will be basically set the same way as this one, Daphne's POV.

**Plus, please let me know if I slipped and put in Hanky anywhere. Sorry, but I changed his name since some of you thought it unusual, not wanting to to give out names but my sister threatened to delete the whole story so now I changed his name. But still, in my mind, he looks better as an Andy than a Hanky. Eh, just let me know if I messed up or if you don't like the name.**

I would like to thank everyone for reviewing! Thanx sooo much guys!!! Luvya!

Now on with the story...

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**_4. Cloudy With a Chance of Laughs_ **

**_Move Along ~ All American Rejects_**

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**Daphne's point of view...**

I sit on the ledge of my window, looking out at all the rain drenching the world outside.

The millions of droplets pitter-patter against the glass as I lay still on the purple checkered comforter over the window seat and wonder how everything became the way it is.

Only last month, I was playing with Andy and watching a new movie on Disney Channel, oblivious to the one person I knew now will hate my guts forever. And yet at the same time, he is the one person I haven't been able to stop thinking about ever since I first looked into his deep blue eyes.

It all started a while back, after Puck came back from Asia, staying at Aladdin's kingdom in Baghdad--who knew the Arab Everafters were such good friends with Queen Titania?--and convinced Sabrina that life isn't all full of sadness and despair.

I wish someone could convince me the same...

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"Daphne, hurry up! It's time for school!" yelled Sabrina as she knocked on my door.

I grumbled and mumbled, turning over and pulling my pillow over my head. After all these years, I still liked getting my "beauty sleep", as Mom called it.

And let me tell ya, whoever came up with the idea that school should start in the morning should have been hung, drawn, and quartered like the Jews in the Inquisition we learned about at school!

I heard my bedroom door open and suddenly felt something tickling my feet. Being as ticklish as ever, and curious as to what in the world is going on, I looked out from under the covers and saw Andy, my little 5-year-old brother, tickling my feet.

"Come on, Daffy, we're gonna be late for school!" he whined, as I pulled my feet up and away from his little fingers.

"What are you so worked up about, Andy? It's just school. You get homework to study for test that make you end up with even more homework!"

"Well, Mommy says to go downstairs 'cause you gotta eat before we go!" At this, I perked up a bit.

"Is it my favorite?"

"Yep; she made Limburger Pancakes with glow-in-the-dark maple syrup! Granny's recipe!" Andy, you see, was as absolutely in love with Granny's cooking as I was.

The news instantly changed my mood and in the next second, I ushered Andy out and began going through my closet, the ebony one with the huge horse poster on the side.

My latest stage, as Dad calls it, is my "horse obsession". What started out as an interest in ponies as a little girl has now blossomed into an obsession as a teenager.

Well, I supposed you could call it obsession; watching every horse-race on TV, doodling horse-shoes all over my notebooks, putting up horse posters all over my bedroom walls, and filling my shelf with every miniature horse I could get my hands on.

And the family's been a good supply of my collection of everything "horse".

Dad got me a stack of books all about horses, fiction and informative, while Sabrina bought me a pair of slippers with a horse face on the end of each pair.

Puck sent me his stuffed unicorn, Krayven the Deceiver, that he used to sleep with a long time ago. Though I'm not sure how long "long ago" actually is.

Mom got me necklace with a silver lucky horse-shoe, Granny Relda sewed me a purple winter sweater with a horse and horse shoes stitched on the front, and Andy colored me a picture of a rainbow horse which I loved and hung up on my wall even though he colored outside the lines.

Finally, after a few minutes of raiding my huge closet, I decided on a white Hurley t-shirt with a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and slipped on my new black high-tops I got from Dad on my last birthday.

Quickly braiding my chestnut brown hair into two pig-tails and leaving my bangs to rest flat against my forehead, I skip down the stairs towards the kitchen.

"'Morning!" I said as I sat in the empty chair between Mom and Sabrina. "Where's Dad?"

Puck was sitting on Sabrina's other side and I couldn't help but notice them holding hands over the table. _Aww!_

"Good morning, sweetie," said Mom, pouring me some orange juice. "Your dad had to leave early for work. But Puck came over for a visit this morning. He's staying a couple blocks down at your uncle's and wanted to drop by. Did you know Queen Titania sent him all the way over to Baghdad, Asia?"

"Yeah, Brina told me. Hey, Puck!"

"'Mornin', marshmellow," he said.

"How was life with the Arabs? Did you get to ride on Aladdin's magic carpet?!"

"Uh, Daphne, we already did ride it back in Ferryport Landing, remember?" asked my sister, picking at her pancakes like it might sprout two heads and nine eyes any minute.

"Oh, yeah. But still, there should be one there too. Anyways, did you have fun playing with all the elephants there?!"

"Yeah, but there were barely any for me to play with. See, there are three living species of elephants, marshmellow: the African Bush Elephant, the African Forest Elephant, and the Asian Elephant that's also known as the Indian Elephant. So only King Aladdin had one, cause they're pretty rare in Baghdad, seeing as how elephants would get pretty thir--"

"Who knew you would learn so much from going there? We should send you over-seas more often, Puck," I said, but a glare from Sabrina stopped me from adding more. I sure didn't wanna joke about separating the two lovebirds any longer than they already had to stay apart.

But Puck just waved the comment off with a scowl.

"AS I WAS SAYING--"

"Puck, don't yell!" said my sister, slapping her boyfriend lightly on the arm. "Seriously, stop being so immature! You're turning 18 soon, already! You might as well act your age!"

With his mouth full, Puck didn't have a choice other than to stay silent lest Mom back up the comment by scolding him about talking with a full mouth.

"Anyways, as I was saying...the elephants over in Baghdad would get pretty thirsty with the hot sun. And damn, was that sun HOT!"

"Puck, mind your language at the table!" said Mom, though I could see a slight twinkle in her big brown eyes that I inhereted. "My parents went on a trip throughout the whole Middle East for their honeymoon. Don't ask me why; it really is blazing hot down there, as they told me."

"S'anyways, were there camels there?" I asked, after swallowing a bite of the stinky yet delicious pancakes with dripping, mouth-watering syrup.

"Yep! Camels and horses. Fast horses too! You should have been there, marshmellow, since you seem to like horses so much now."

"You have no idea! Daphne's SO obsessed with horses now it's not even funny."

"Sabrina, your sister's just going through a stage!" said Mom.

"I'm not making fun of her or anything! I like horses too. Just not obsessed," she said, saying the last part under her breath that I had to strain to hear it.

Ever since we moved here, she's been pretty bitter. When Puck came back, Mom and Dad were ecstatic, knowing her attitude was sure to change. Though the progress's been pretty slow at times. She's still as stubborn as ever, with an attitude of the Grand Canyon, but to a whole new degree.

"So, did you play any pranks on the Arabs?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Ha, well, let's see--"

"Puck, no!" said Sabrina, interrupting her fairy boyfriend before he could start on all the mischievous pranks he pulled. "Don't start, not when Andy's upstairs listening in on new prank ideas! If he grew up with you, I don't know how worse he could be! I always used to talk to him about you--"

"You talked to your little brother about me?!" Puck asked curiously, one eyebrow arched, and I noticed a soft blush crawl up my sister's face.

"Not-- I-- Don't assume-- Just becau-- Shut up, Puck! As I was saying, ever since I told him about you and what kind of pranks you played on us when we were still in Ferryport Landing, Andy's been nothing but trouble!"

"Now, Sabrina, he hasn't been that bad," Mom contradicted, a soft smile on her face.

"Oh, yes, he has! Putting his little pet frog in my bed, coloring all over Daphne's bedroom walls, getting Uncle Jake's help to put tar on the handle bars of our bikes-- It's not funny!"

"Oh, yes it is, sissy!" I said, giggling, even though the crayons thing got me pretty mad at the time.

"So, I see little Andrew's grown into a Junior Trickster! GOOD JOB, ANDY BOY!!!" he hollered to my little brother upstairs.

"THANKS!!!" Andy yelled back in his high, adorable little-boy voice.

"Too bad, I still had a couple tricks up my sleeve," he said, his green eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Puck, you didn't plan something, did you?" asks my annoyed sister, immediately picking up on the familiar mischievous glint.

"Who, me?!" he said, looking up at us in what he most likely thought were 'innocent' eyes.

One thing I learned from Sabrina over the years is that however cute Puck might seem, he's still the Prince of Juvenile Delinquents and spiritual guide for millions of complainers, criminals, and convicts everywhere and will never give up on pranking. And believe me, cute to her! Gag, I could never consider Puck--who's like my older brother, for goodness sake--to be cute!

"Puck!" she said.

"Mffnorfushtiknat," he says, stuffing his face in the pancakes as I take a bit out of mine.

"What?" asks Sabrina.

"I said, krivksryitfnuyartiscvuitiknufin!"

"What?!"

After finishing with my fourth helping of the exotic, Limburger pancakes, I joined Sabrina in trying to figure out what Puck's trying to say.

"We're gonna be late so let's go!" he finally said.

And so, I grabbed my bag from near the fridge and followed my sister and her fairy boyfriend out of the back door. Then I remembered to hold it out as Hanky finally came down from brushing his teeth.

"Daphne, sweetie, can you please hold Andy's hand to the bus stop so he won't run off and get lost?" my apprehensive mother said.

I nodded softly.

Even though she may get a little overprotective from time to time, I get her point. She couldn't bear it if something happened to Hanky.

Ever since he awoke from his coma that lasted up to three weeks after he, Sabrina, Puck, Uncle Jake, and I got back out of the Book of Everafters, Mom hasn't let him out of her sight for more than a few seconds.

Eventually, she let him go to pre-school, but that isn't as long as actual school. And so now, I had to watch out for my little brother, lest he be taken by evil goblins or vengeful old Scarlet Hand members.

As I heard Sabrina and Puck bicker for the millionth time since the day he made us go over his cliff back in Ferryport Landing, I held Andy's hand tight and wished for the bus to come quickly and take us away to NYC High School.

After a while, Andy's bus arrived and I waved goodbye, wishing him luck. Then I was left to stand alone at the dirty curb with the two love-sick seniors.

I looked up at the deep blue sky, bright from the shining sun, and caught the sound of an unusually quiet morning. Barely a few birds roamed the open skies on such a quiet day. Strange. Usually, mornings in New York City were anything but quiet.

I remembered when I used to hang out with Sabrina and wait for the bus to come and pick her up for Elementary School so long ago. How many years has it been? 9? 10?

It seemed like eternity.

I couldn't fully remember a day before we were forced again and again into the Foster Care system or moved from one cruel family to another by that mean, disgusting, old Ms. Smirt!

The faint sound of kids' laughter arose as the bus pulled up and our joly Irish driver opened the door.

After greeting him with a "G'morning, Mr. Joe" and a smile, I followed my sister and the not-so-ex-Trickster King up the small steps and down the aisle.

I looked around and try to find my friends, Red Grimm and Hayley Carroll.

I scanned the rows until I found them; the quiet girl in the red and the bouncy blond trying to get Red to answer in more than mono-syllables for the hundredth time. Grinning like an idiot, I quickly walked over to them before they had a chance to realize this was my stop.

...Yeah, Red and I were still friends and she's aged along with me so she doesn't get left behind. See, after we defeated the Scarlet Hand, Uncle Jake took a curious interest in Goldilocks. Eventually, after months of declining him time and time again, Goldi fell in love with him as well.

I'm not sure exactly how it happened. One minute my foolish uncle was still mourning for his passed-away love and Goldi was still hopelessly pining after a man she could never have. The next thing you know, the two doomed lovers faced the truth and gradually fell in love with each other.

Again, don't ask me how it happened; I'm not "old enough" to know the details, as my dear sister said.

But I've heard her and her new best friend, Stacy Patrocy, long-lost 300-year-old daughter of Rapunzel, gossip of how she heard Uncle Jake followed Goldi home and professed his new undying love for her.

So then, when Baga Yaga never got new guardians, the Scarlet Hand members raided her forest and killed her.

Many Everafters escaped out of Ferryport Landing to travel the world. But some still stayed; having spent so long there, they couldn't imagine life elsewhere.

Mr. Charming was re-elected as town mayor and married Snow soon after we escaped from the Everafter Book; now they are currently living with a set of twin girls who drive their father crazy everyday, yet he still loves them, which is just plain adorable!

Cindy and Tom, Stacy's mother, the "little" mermaid--whose friends are getting her on a diet--and the rest of the princesses and princes, along with some witches, animals, and half-breeds stayed with Snow and Charming too. And now, they all live peacefully together in Ferrypot Landing, New York.

Uncle Jake and Goldi got married a bit after the mayor and my old teacher. Later, they adopted Red into their new family so she would have a real mom and dad. It was also because Goldi was a kind soul and couldn't help asking Red to join their happy family.

So now, they all live a couple blocks down from us; Uncle Jake, Aunt Goldi, Red, and her little 4-year-old brother, Ryan.

However, Mr. Clay's been staying with Granny Relda at their farm in Delaware. They come over for a visit every Christmas while we go visit them in the summer. Every summer we had fun; playing with the horses, cows, and chickens and swinging on the old tire on a rope in the trees...

As I took my seat next to Hayley, she leaned forward and put an arm around me, giving me tight and warm embrace. After the first few minutes of knowing her, I noticed my new friend was a hugger, needing to hug every person she meets and give them a hug every time she sees them again, whether on a scheduled meet or out-of-the-blue.

"Hey, Lee. Hey, Red."

"Hey, Daph-o-dil," she said as Red smiled in greeting. Apparently, Hayley was using my new nickname for this week. "How've you been? Weekend treated you fine?"

"Okay, I guess. Puck came back. You know, my sister's old fairy boyfriend."

Since Hayley was the youngest daughter of one of Lewis Carroll's who-knows-how-many-greats grandchildren, was currently working undercover in the Golden Egg--making sure the Everafters of New York were happy and not filing complaints against the Carroll & Grimm Embassy of Everafter Welfare--and a die-hard Trickster King fan, she knew basically all there was to know about his highness.

Everything, including the fact that no one's heard anything from him ever since Queen Titania came to Ferryport Landing and took him away after the barrier broke down.

"_Gasp!_ His highness's back?!"

"Lee! He is NOT all that!"

"Oh, yes, he is! Did you hear he got injured fighting a Jabberwocky, like, five years ago?! If one of those things went after me I would run like the wind, coward that I am! But no, the Trickster King stood his ground and battled it like there was no tomorrow! And even when he got his winds pulled off--which musta hurt, lemme tell ya--he still had his bravery and honor! And did you hear about the time he fought in the Everafter War and--"

"I know, Hayley! I was there!"

"Oh, yeah..." she said, with a sheepish smile. "Ooh! Can you get me his autograph?! Please, please, please, please, PLEASE DAPHNE?!?!?!"

"Hayley! He's not a celebrity, you know!"

"Yu-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yu-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"YU-HUH!"

"NU--"

"GUYS!" We both looked up at the interruption and saw Red, staring at us in big moon eyes and jerking her head in the direction of said fairy.

There was Puck, sitting right across from us yet so totally unaware of anything around him, hand in hand with my sister and whispering incomprehensible words in her ear.

"If you're so sure whether he is or isn't a celebrity, why don't you ask him yourself?!"

Huh. Always leave it to Red to break up arguments. Even though she's quiet, you should know enough to get out of her way if you're raising your voices. That girl sure does like her peace and quiet, alright!

"But if you ask him, of course he'll say yes!" I pointed out. "He's humongously cocky with an ego of Texas! Of COURSE he'd consider himself a celebrity!"

"Great, then let's ask him!" said Hayley.

"Lee, no--"

"Hey Puck!" she called.

"HUH?!" he replied confusedly, looking around and wondering where the heck the little voice came from. Finally, Sabrina poked him and pointed over in our direction, and he yelled over all the ruckus of the students in the big, tumbling bus, "WHAT?!"

"Do you consider yourself a celebrity?" Hayley asked, batting her eyelashes hopelessly.

"What?"

"I said, do you consider yourself a celebrity?!"

"What?!"

"Do you consider yourself a celebrity?!"

"Sorry, the noise its too loud! What is it again?!"

"I SAID--"

"Sorry, you're gonna have to raise your voice, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

As Hayley tried to scream the question for the fifth time, I looked over at Puck, who had a troublesome glint in his eyes and smile he was trying to hide, and I suddenly realized he was having fun with this.

I caught my sister's eye and saw that she had the same disapproving look on her face that I probably mirrored, but was nonetheless fighting a smile herself.

"LOUDER!!!" Puck yelled, his voice booming in the full bus. Unfortunately, Hayley didn't notice that everyone had started to quiet down after the Trickster King's last comment and tried to higher her question to drown out his, signs of frustration written all over her face.

"DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A CELEBRITY?!?!?!?!" my poor friend yelled into the quietness of the bus.

"Why no, Miss Carroll, I don't go as fer as thinkin I'm a ceelebertee. What an odd question," called Joe, the bus driver from up front, his Irish accent as thick as ever with a sprinkle of knowing humor.

A few snickers and giggles erupted the vehicle and the next thing I knew, Red, Sabrina, Puck, and even Hayley and me were on the edge of our seats in fits of laughter while all the other high-schoolers stared at us with questioning glances and nervous chuckles.

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**A/N:** I'm not updating till the number of reviews reaches **45**.

Yes, I am indeed evil.

Just say if you like it, hated it, if it was funny, if it was lame, whatever you want. **And if fanfiction said you already reviewed this chapter because I deleted chpt 2 (the Author's Note) then just log out and put your penname as your name in the review.**

**Also, I'm making six free people.** Here's how it goes...

You give a review saying you want the **free guy #1**,** free guy #2**,** free guy #3**,** free girl #1**,** free girl #2**, or** free girl #3**. The first one who says they want the free-OC's gets them.

Also, you have to include the basics in the review; their full names, their looks, interests, hobbies, "label", whether they're Everafters or normal humans or descendants of old story tellers (story tellers like Grimms, Andersens, Carrolls, etc...), whether or not they die, etc.

Ages will be...guy#1 is 18; guy#2 is 14; guy#3 is 14; girl#1 is 17; girl#2 is 14; girl#3 is 5.

HOWEVER, for girl#3, you choose everything except last name, which has already been decided. She will be explained later on and yes, like guy#3, she is important. Kinda.

Feel free to PM/review if you have any questions.

Remember, **45** **reviews** before the next update!

~Ly ^^


	5. MakeUp, In More Ways Than One

**Disclaimer: If I owned The Sisters Grimm I wouldn't even be on fanfiction so DUH, I Do Not Own The Sisters Grimm!**

**A/N: Nothing to say today. Mad that only ONE person wanted a free character. THEY'RE FREE FOR PETE'S SAKE! **

**And sorry for the shortness.**

**Now read on.**

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**6. Make-Up, In More Ways Than One**

**Battlefield ~ Jodin Sparks**

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**Sabrina's point of view...**

After a long day full of friends, school, and work, I retire to my bedroom to do some over-due homework. I do NOT want to fall behind another year, that's for sure.

Yeah, even though I don't wanna admit it, I fell back a year when we first moved back home from Ferryport Landing and Daphne and I enrolled in the nearest school. Mom blamed the Scarlet Hand - mainly ex-mayor Heart - for not teaching me anything to pass 8th grade in NYC. Dad blamed Mom for never explaining more stuff and helping me with homework back when we all lived together - before the kidnapping by Oz. Daphne thought I was just sad because we left Ferryport Landing.

But none of them got it. Daphne was the closest yet nowhere near the right answer.

The truth was, I missed Puck. Every night, I would fall asleep crying and listening to sad songs on my i-pod over and over again until my eyes were dry and it hurt to even think. Then every morning I would wake up thinking about him. I would wonder if we were still living in Ferryport Landing, what kind of prank would he have planned for me that day?

Dying my hair pukish green? Spraying paint all my clothes red and yelling to anyone in close proximity I was the next Scarlet Hand leader? Replace all clean clothes with an old bag when I was taking a shower so I would have to come down to breakfast looking like a sack of potatoes?

After we defeated the Scarlet Hand, Puck and I grew closer and closer, spending more time with each other until Dad threatened to send me off to military school if I didn't focus on other things. But after a while, he realized it was hopeless cause.

Puck would sometimes go into my room late at night - with the door open, if course - and hum a lullaby to me as he lay over the covers and me under, falling asleep to his voice, or I would go into his "outdoor" room and we would lie on many blankets and pillows, holding one another under the starry sky, and looking for constellations as we talked about numerous things.

True, we fought from time to time. Sometimes Puck just hated me randomly and it was only till later that I found out that he thought he had lost his reputation when he admitted he loved me. Then another time he threatened to prank me repeatedly if I ever again tried to "get rid" of his chimpanzees. That didn't go so well and we ended up not talking for days, him pranking me and me trying my hardest to ignore him. Of course we always "kissed and made up" as Daphne puts it, quite literally to tell you the truth.

Then after a month or so though, we got in another fight that started off with an innocent little bag of make-up and a hyacinth bridesmaid dress.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_Flashback_

"You look pretty today," Puck said as I came down the stairs. It was the day of Uncle Jake's and Goldi's wedding and I was dressed as one of Goldi's bridesmaids - wearing a halter-top dress full of hyacinth silk and darker blue flowers embroidered on the bottom, along with Mom and Snow, while Daphne wore a simple white fluffy dress as the flower girl along with Red, whom was adopted into the newlyweds' family later that day.

"Just pretty?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well - uh - what I meant was - uh - it's not - you don't - " I had to admit, it was fun watching him squirm for words. "Sabrina, you look absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous. Out of the ordinary. So better than ordinary. Beautiful beyond comparison!" I blushed at his comment as Mom handed me a flower bouquet of white roses and blue hydrangeas. Then another thing crossed my mind.

"Whaddya mean, better than ordinary?!" I asked, one hand on my hip, the bouquet in the other.

"Uh - Brina - that's not what I meant! I said you looked beautiful didn't I?" he said.

"Yeah, but you didn't answer my question. What did you mean by better than ordinary?!" I demanded, ignoring Daphne's annoying hum of "The Bridal March" and baby Andy's high shrieks of delight as Dad tossed him up in the air.

"I meant...well, I guess...well, you just look better than normal..." he said, sentence fading out halfway.

"So you mean I looked ugly before, huh? Typical. A plain girl's good to cuddle with and pull pranks on but throw a dress where her boobs pop out and splash some paint on her eyes and lips and BAM, she's beautiful? Great Puck. Just great!" I said, following Daphne and Red out the door.

"Sabrina! That is SO not what I mean!" he yelled after me, but I ignored him and went into the limousine, sitting between Mom and Daphne. Throughout the whole ride we ended up ignoring each other. Then at the reception, I caught him dancing with another girl then kissing her.

It turned out that he was only doing it to make me jealous and apologized when he found me sitting alone in the lobby of the hotel, crying silently and thinking we were definitely over. The apology turned into something more and when Daphne and Red finally found us, our faces were beet red, lips swollen and paranoia risen. And after we all cut the huge wedding cake, with real bluebirds hovering inches away from each heavily-frosted layer, the whole fight was set aside, forever forgotten.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Back to present_

Truth be told, after a year of being together then torn apart, I missed him terribly. Even his infuriating pranks and immature attitude.

I began to fall behind on my classes, avoiding homework like a plague, talking back to teachers, breaking dodge-ball rules and whipping the ball just to make kids cry. I even skipped classes and locked myself in a bathroom stall, crying my eyes out and punching the first guy or girl to make a comment about my red blotchy face.

It became worse and worse until Mom and Dad decided to take me to see a counselor. Because of the whole Rumpelstiltskin incident a while back, I would only agree to see a professional one, mainly one with a real recent birth date. And so I found enough energy in me to at least try to not fail school and somehow managed to get by on straight C's.

And now that Puck's back and enroled as a senior to make school a little less miserable for me, I was definitely trying harder so I can graduate with him and we could move onto college together.

With that being said, I lay down on my bed, pulling the covers close around me, turn off my bedside lamp, and willingly give myself to sleep.

They say sleep throws both body and mind into a blissful peace.

So I don't have anything to worry about until the sixth period chemistry test tomorrow afternoon.

Right?

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**A/N:** Again, sorry for the shortness.

The free-OC's thing is still on.

**55 reviews** before the next update.

~Ly


	6. Dead

**Disclaimer: I own nothing so don't sue!!!**

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**_6. Dead_**

**_Tears of Blood ~ Magna Carta_**

**_How to Save a Life ~ The Fray_**

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"Sabrina, get down here this instant!" I hear Mom yell as I finish my Grimm Journal entry.

It's stupid, I know. But Mom and Dad insist Daphne and I keep one. Andy too when he's old enough.

So for now, I have to write about how we solved the short mystery of things disappearing in the Arachnids' household. It turned out that the gold watch, important letters, and valuable jewelry were taken by a rebel school-boy group, playing a joke on their new English teacher for assigning a 100-page essay to be completed over Thanksgiving holiday.

Of course, I would have done the same thing if Mr. Harry Arachnid was my English teacher, assigning us such a long essay to write, but I wouldn't go as far as putting up red hand-prints and pretending that the old Scarlet Hand members are after the Arachnids for taking back their son from the deceased Rumpelstiltskin.

After finishing the entry, I run down the steps, two at a time, in case of some emergency. As I land on the living room floor, I see Granny Relda, Goldi, Mom, Dad, Mr. Charming and his wife, Snow White—who kept her last name after marriage.

I wonder for a second why they called me down if they all seem fine in their seats, but as I take a closer look I notice that they're covered with a stinky, mucky liquid and their arms and legs are bound with thick chains to their seats.

Yes, we're at Granny's house. We all came back to Ferryport Landing for a month for Thanksgiving and to visit old friends. Granny had decided to give the keys to the mayor and I was surprised that Snow convinced him not to run it to the ground as soon as we left.

Back to the present. How in the world did they get themselves all tied?! Why are they even tied in the first place?! And—

"'Brina, they're back," says Dad

They couldn't possibly mean— No. Ridiculous idea.

"Daphne and Red finally came back from visiting Briar's grave with Uncle Jake at the cemetery?"

"Sabrina— " But I interrupt Mom before she can explain; I can't bear the sad look on her face.

"Oh, you mean Puck and his family decided to join us in Ferryport Landing for Thanksgiving?"

"The Scarlet Hand, Sabrina. They're back." No. It can't be true. This must be a joke! They swore to never bother us again! They left when the barrier was torn down! Didn't they?

I look back to Dad, but instead of a smile or even a twitch on his lips that would imply a joke, his face is graver than anything, tone low and fast, serious as ever.

"No," I spoke my thoughts aloud.

"Child, this is not a joke," Mr. Clay says, as if reading my mind.

"It can't be true; they're gone!"

"That's what we thought too, _liebling_," Granny says quietly.

"How? Why? When?" I ask, shouting questions all at a time.

"We don't know," says Snow, answering each question with one reply.

"How did they do this?" I push back the fear and trying to show bravery to take control in case they need my help.

"We don't know for sure," says Charming. "We were drinking some lemonade your mother made and suddenly, we fell asleep."

"When we woke up, we found ourselves tied down to our seats and both our bodies and the floor wet with gasoline," Dad finishes.

"Gasoline?! What are they gonna do, burn down the house with you alive?! ... Oh." For I can see in their face that the Scarlet Hand was planning to do just that. "But...how did they even get in here?"

"_Liebling_, the house isn't locked when we're inside, so they must have snuck in either through the front door or back door or even the windows. You know we haven't locked anything here since we left three years ago," Granny explained softly.

"They must have snuck into the kitchen while I was checking in on you and drugged the lemonade to make us sleep. Damn it, I knew shouldn't have left the back door wide open like that," Mom whispers, more to herself than anyone else.

"All we can do now is make sure everyone else is safe. We know the Scarlet Hand is gonna burn down the whole house, sometime today if not soon," Dad says.

"Sabrina, will you please bring Andy down?" asks Mom.

"And Kaya and Luna," Ms. White puts in.

"Don't you dare let anything to happen to them," warns Charming.

With a quick nod, I'm up the steps, running with haste and searching for the toddlers. "Andy, Kaya, Luna! You guys, come on, where are you?"

Only a few giggles answer back.

"Guys come on! This is no time for Hide and Seek! Andy, this is an emergency!" At the mere word, Andy comes out from under the bed and the Everafter twins follow him. Even though he's too young to fully comprehend that it's an emergency, he knows enough. Mom and Dad trained him that if anything ever comes up, he has to be brave. So now, whenever he hears the word, he's trained to know that it's serious and not just a joke.

"Come on, guys, we gotta go. Luna, come here," I say, gesturing for the youngest of the three. I pick her up, Snow's exact younger replica, for she's as weightless as a feather while her blond sister is a bit on the fat side. I pick up Ryan from his crib and begin the journey back, mentioning for Kaya and Andy to follow me.

Tottering down, I hear all the grown-ups urging me to hurry. I still can't believe this is happening. What's gonna happen to all the others if they're tied down and can't escape the gasoline all over them? How much will it hurt to be burned alive?—

No! I mustn't think about them dying! They must have some plan of escape! They must!

"Hurry, hurry, hurry," chant the two kids behind me.

"Sabrina, honey, you have to take them and go. Run as fast as you can away from here! We don't know when the house might go up in flames. You have to leave as soon as possible," she says, looking tearfully at me then down at Andy who's hugging her leg tightly.

"Let me see my boy, please. I just have to see Ryan one last time," Goldi pleads from her seat, squirming against the tight chains. I instantly cross the room, put Luna down, and lower Ryan—who is wide awake by now—down to eye-level with his beauty of a mother. "Sweetums, I love you s-so, so, so much," Goldi whispers to her confused baby. "P-Please know that. Please remember your m-mother. Please don't forget me. I'll always be w-watching over you, my angel. And Sabrina, please take c-care of him for m-me would you, please?" she asks, tears falling down her cheeks. I nod, of course I'll take care of him. He's the only blood-cousin I have.

Ryan, somehow knowing something bad's gonna happen just as babies always know their own mothers, begins crying and bawling in my arms. Goldi leans forward, placing a tender kiss on his forehead, and whispers one more time that she loves him. Ryan, in turn, quiets down enough to hear his mother's voice one last time.

From this exchange between a mother and her loving son, unwanted tears sprout up my eyes. And to think that I'll never see her again, my only aunt! To think that I'll never see my parents ever again! Or Mr. Clay and Granny and Snow! Heck, even Charming doesn't deserve such an ending as this!

I pull Ryan to me again and give Goldi a goodbye kiss, careful not to let any of the gasoline get on me. I then move onto Granny.

"Take care, _liebling,_" she whispers. "I love you."

"I love you too, Granny. And I'm so sorry for how I acted the first year we were together and how I fought with you and didn't agree with you on anything. I'm sorry for all that things I've said and every—"

"Hush, _liebling_. The past is behind us; it doesn't matter. I've forgiven you a long time ago. But please try to eat more." And it brings both a smile and tears to my face that she can still comment about my health in her last few minutes on earth.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I skip right ahead to Mom and Dad. "Guys, I love you both so much. You've been the best parents anyone can possibly ask for. Thank you so much for being so good to me and Daphne when other families have treated us like crap. I don't— "

"We love you too, Sabrina," Dad says as Mom lovingly scolds Andy for getting near her for the tenth time. "But you have to hurry; they might throw a torch in here at any moment!"

"Mom, I love you," I say tearfully.

"I love you too, my little angel. So, so much. I wish I could protect you from all the evil out there, but you're growing up; your dad and I can't censor life forever for you, you know. So...take care," she says before leaning forward and kissing my forehead. Dad motions for me to come closer and does the same.

"We love you so much, Sabrina. I hope you know that. We never meant for any of this to happen. So please watch out for your sister and Andy." And just like Mom he whispers a 'take care' before giving me another kiss, adds that I am the best daughter anyone could ask for, and to never talk to strangers, including troublemakers with pink wings. Again, I felt like laughing and crying at the same time, so I do both.

"Goodbye," I call to everyone as Snow and Charming say their goodbyes to their daughters.

"Bye-bye, mommy," calls Andy, as if it's all a big trip to the zoo and we'll be back in a few hours. If only...

"Quick! Hurry!" My head whips towards the voice and I see Dad's panic-stricken face, looking behind me. I turn my head to see what he's looking at and I feel my face go pale.

A dark arm through the window and...a flame.

They've tossed in a torch.

"Fuck." I don't even recognize my own voice as I yell for the kids to run to the kitchen. Along the way, I yell a tearful goodbye to my family, knowing that I would never see them again.

How unfair this world is! Not only did Daphne and I have to endure nearly two years in Foster Care, jumping from family to family without a real home, but now, after only a couple more years with them, we have to say goodbye to our parents and depend on each other again in this cold cruel world.

I had barely begun to fully know Mr. Clay and now I could never ask him all those questions unanswered. How did he know Puck and I were meant to be back when he was battling Rumplestiltskin? Did he find out more about his family from his meditations with Red? How did he become an Everafter? Who else did he uncover from his mystery of a past?

And Granny...

As I usher the kids through the back door, holding Ryan close for dear life, I think of how generous and loving Granny is. I never deserved her kindness back when I wanted to quit the family business. Sure, she got a little strict at times, but which guardian doesn't? She took care of Daphne and I when we had no one else to turn to for comfort and protection. Even though I tried to take care of my sister as much as I could, it was nice not to have so much responsibility.

It brings another wave of tears to my eyes as I think about her and Grandpa Basil, how happy she'll be when she dies, to be able to see her true love again. Or died.

No, damn it! I mustn't think like that! I have to be brave for Andy and the twins. As for Ryan, I bring him even closer and bury my chin in his neck as I think of how much misery Uncle Jake will be in when he finds out another woman he loves dearly had her life stolen by the Scarlet Hand.

Or is it loved.

Damn it, no!

I refuse to think like that. At least Uncle Jake's okay. Yes, he must be. He must. And Daphne. Oh please God, let Daphne and Red be okay. Please let them be fine. They have to be. They just have to.

I continue chanting the plead inside my mind as I lead the kids through the forest. They cry on the way, shrieks and coughs, sobs and wails. Oh, goodness. I start coughing too, for the smoke's followed us into the trees behind the house. What in the world are we gonna do if the flames run through the grass and follow us? Oh, Lord.

Eyes still tearing, fog all around us, smoke coming from all around, I hear a voice coming from within the trees. Someone looking for someone. They better not come this way or they'll surely be killed in the fire. I take Luna's hand and mention for Andy to take Kaya's. It's a good thing he's a prankster, pranksters have strong hearts in order to endure all the tricks shot back, scoldings, and punishments. He threw prank after prank back in New York City, no matter what Mom threatened him with.

Speaking of tricksters, I wonder what Puck's gonna do when he realizes I'm dead.

Laugh? No; we've grown older and closer. He wouldn't dare. Not now that we declared our love to one another.

Cry? I doubt it; he wouldn't wanna seem weak to others around him. He was a villain, in fact. And I don't think it likely that he would let anyone near him after he finds out the truth.

Would he run away? Throw a temper-tantrum? Go into denial? Give everyone the silent treatment?

Truthfully, I'm not sure what he might do. Even though we knew we loved each other, we've only had at least a year together as a couple. We had always thought everything would play itself out. We never actually took the time to learn much about ourselves. Sure we talked a lot back in the peaceful days after the Everafter War. We would lay side by side, or in each other's arms, and talk about all sorts of things. But we never really went deeper within ourselves. We just went along with being a couple, for we knew we would end up married in the future.

What would he say, I wonder? What would he do?

Oh, if only he knew how much I loved him. If only he knew that I would give my life for him.

The voice is coming closer. No; voices. Two. Maybe three.

They should be careful. They might die. Like Mom and Dad. Like Granny and Mr. Clay. Like Goldi. Like Briar. Like Charming. Like Snow. Like...

Me.

And Andy, Ryan, Luna and Kaya.

But everyone dies eventually, right? Why am I crying if we all get to live happily ever after someday? I've never been much or a religious person, but the world can't end in darkness, can it?!

Though even if it did, that would at least be more peaceful than an eternal hell full of everlasting flames.

Flames...

Tears fill up my eyes once again, and the way becomes blurry.

No! Why do I always have to cry? I mustn't! I have to lead us out of these woods. I must.

I must.

I must.

The voices.

Closer.

I can't see a thing.

I bring my arms closer but can't feel Ryan within them.

I try squeezing my hand around Luna's but it's as if I'm clutching at air.

I try to turn around, my eyes searching frantically for Andy and Kaya, but there's only fog and flames. Is this is it? Am I dead? Am in hell?

I can't feel a thing. Can't see a thing.

Can't hear a thing except for those annoying voices calling out.

It's more distinct now.

Carina?

Morina?

Sabrina?

Yes, that's it. Sabrina. I wonder who she is? She must not be from around here. I don't remember a Sabrina. Heck, I don't even remember my own name.

Oh, wait.

It's me.

They're calling me!

Daphne, Uncle Jake and Red.

They're wasting their time. Don't they know I'm beyond saving?

Finally, the voices faint away and I feel my body being brought down, things falling on top of me.

Where the hell am I?

Dead.

For sure.

Lying in a torturous crypt forever. A crypt full of burning flames licking at my long hair. Oh, how Puck used to loved playing with my hair. Dying it, throwing glop grenades on me so my hair becomes covered in a disgusting jello-like substance, twisting strands with his fingers as we lay together, running his fingers through it when we kissed...

Puck...

Oh God, I miss him.

I'll have to wait till he dies for us to finally be reunited. And it won't be long when he finds out what happened. Won't it?

Oh, the agony. The flames. The burning smell of wood and hair and skin. Skin? I always wondered what burning skin smelled like. I guess now I know.

And the voices. They're back again.

Oh, why does this hell have to torture me with their screams of terror, shouts of confusion, cries of despair? Don't you think I've had enough? Don't you know I know what it feels like to lose somebody dear to you?

The emptiness, the agony, the despair.

Please make them go away! Please make it all go far away.

Please.

Please.

Please...

* * *

It's late afternoon in early cold December, approximately two weeks after Thanksgiving, and freezing fog has settled all over the state of New York. It's been fairly dark since four and wherever streetlights cast their orange glow, droplets of moisture can be seen dancing in the icy air like ballerinas in snowflake tutus.

Seagulls perch on the head of Lady Liberty while pelicans skid on the frozen ponds of Central Park. In the big city, giant skyscrapers disappear into the fog, their positions betrayed only by the warning lights, blinking like ghostly spaceships from within the mists.

Meanwhile, in a dank, dark corner of Ferryport Landing, a homeless man is stuffing newspapers down his jacket, covering himself with layers of blankets. His black and white dog, a curageous German Shepherd, lays at his side, threatening anyone who dares to come close.

Truth be told, no one is supposed to be out this late, especially in such a temperature. Mayor Charming had decreed that, for their own safety, anyone who wishes to remain alive and well best be home by the ring of three o'clock in the afternoon. The egotistical Everafter was actually more concerned for his two daughters. Ever since he made it out of Granny's burning house—and no one's still certain how exactly the mayor tricked the Scarlet Hand into letting him escape—he's been grieving his beauty of a wife and not letting his sweet daughters out of his sight, insisting they be taught by a special home-school teacher.

At the moment, I'm sitting at the ledge of my window, watching the strange sight of the German Shepherd pawing at the air as if it's flies and his paw, a cow's tail. Uncle Jake and Andy are downstairs in the kitchen, making sugar cookies—or at least, attempting. Nevertheless, they're at least having fun while I'm left to rot at this widow. Hell, I could die here for all they knew. Oh, if only...

Puck still hasn't come back—his mother had sent word insisting he stay for Christmas as well, and he certainly hasn't objected. And that's only made matters worse. Not only was he not there to comfort me after I woke up here in Uncle Jake's house with Daphne at my side, tears streaming down her face in relief that I had finally emerged from my two-day coma. But he's the only one who can get me out of my state of depression and he knows it, yet he still chooses to spend the Christmas holidays with his bitch-fairy of a mother. Excuse my language. Or don't. Who am I to care what you think? And who are you to criticize my judgment?

Still, I am nothing without him. Why am I still here, I truthfully do not know.

Maybe to stay with Daphne and take care of her and Andy, now that family's scarce.

Maybe to help Uncle Jake through long nights of tears, despair, and coffee, heart-broken that he will never find love that will remain.

Maybe to take care of Elvis and Red, letting them know that Granny didn't mean for them to be forgotten.

Maybe to wait for Puck. But who am I kidding? He heard what happened. At least, we told his mother to tell him.

Maybe...

A clatter downstairs brings me out of my thoughts of misery. A childish laughter follows. If only I can join them downstairs, having fun and drinking hot chocolate. Oh how I used to love Granny's hot chocolate. Sure, she'd make it with llama-bean marshmallows, but it was fun picking them out and throwing them in Elvis' mouth, watching him chew and beg for more with his big puppy-dog eyes.

Oh, Granny. I miss them all so much. Mom and her warm hugs, Goldi's late-night girl talks, Mr. Clay and his funny sense of style, even Dad's over-protectiveness. My heart aches every time I think of them. At first, mention of their death was met with shocks and tears, denial at the worst. Lately, Daphne and I have been sleeping together in the queen-sized bed of the spare guest room, the thick layers of blankets hugging us as we lay in each others arms, crying. But now, all we feel is pain, at least for me. Pain—raw, acute pain...and emptiness. Knowing I'll never see them again.

I look to my left, seeing Ryan lying in his crib, fast asleep. For all he knows, his mom's gone on a long, long trip to the moon and he'll never see her again. I stare in jealousy at his peaceful form, not knowing what lies ahead. He's just lying there, and trusting the night to be dark and warm, the day to be bright and early, his dad to wake him up with a blow against his neck and a warm bottle of milk to bring him down again, back to drown in sleep and meaningless dreams.

A sharp movement from out the window grabs my attention and forces me to look around at all the snow. A flash of purple in all the white. Then, quicker and sharper, a mixture of brown and gray. Wolves. They were the main reason everyone agreed with Charming's ramblings of unsafe winter. Everyone made sure to close all their doors and windows after it got dark, for we all knew that wolves were in town. It was announced on the news, they had escaped from a nearby zoo and joined with a pack from the woods. Now that winter's becoming darker, they've been spotted lurking out and about in the openness of the snow. Who knows what would happen if you left a window open or forgot to call your kids in from throwing around snow-balls?

Another flash of purple. Neon purple. The only person I know with a neon purple coat is...

What in the world is happening outside? She can't be out in all that snow, playing, while there's wolves lurking at any corner!

I race down the stairs, breathing heavily. "Uncle Jake!" I call.

"What's your rush, Brina? Did you spot Puck on the freeway with that new telescope of yours?" He's wiping Andy's face from the chocolate chips he must have found in the pantry. As my little brother sees me, he yells, "Sabby!" before trying to get out of Uncle Jake's iron hold.

"Where is she?" I demand, panic rising in my voice.

"Where's who, Bubble-bum?" he asks innocently, using the nickname Puck had practically glued to me before we came back to Ferryport Landing.

"_Don't_ call me that." I stare at him like a murderer about to off his long-time enemy's head. Her. Ugh, sexist movie producers. Why does the murder always have to be a guy?! Couldn't they imagine a woman who's ever wanted revenge and went off to drive a knife through an ex-lover's heart or shoot ten bullets in an enemy's chest.

"Daphne," I say, trying to hold down my anger.

"Daffy's outside, playing with white snow. She rolls them like dis, then throws them through the windows," Andy says, giggling, trying to imitate someone throwing a snow-ball by using the dough in the bowl on the table as snow.

"Aw, Andy, now I gots ta cwean aw dis up! Do you weally want your poo unca to suffa dis much?" I can't bear to listen to any more of his insufferable baby-talk and Andy's continous giggling so I grab my coat from the coat-hanger, and open the back door, heading out into the cold December snow.

"Don't forget to wear a hat," calls my uncle, automatically. With a groan, I pull my navy cap—one that Mom knit for me last winter—over my head and down to my ears before slamming the door shut behind me.

Instantly, bitter, frosty air smacks me in the face. I shiver, suddenly regretting leaving the warm shelter of the kitchen. Of course, I'm freezing cold and aching all over, mostly due to the quick change from the hot temperature indoors to the penetrating cold out here. So I wrap my arms around my chest, and continue my journey through the snow.

Even though all I see is blurs of white and slight gray all around, I trudge on, trying my best to ignore the icy air nipping on the exposed skin at my face and hands. Oh, I should have worn gloves or at least Uncle Jake's thick scarf. Too late to go back now.

After a while of going around and around the town, making sure to stay in close proximity to the house, I spy another flash of bright purple. _Finally_, I think, sighing with relief.

"Daphne!" I yell. But the figure doesn't turn. I squint my eyes and see her bending down and touching something in the snow. Treading closer, I call out to her again. But again, she doesn't turn. Finally, when I'm approximately a few feet away and sure as anything that Daphne's the one with the purple coat, I look down and see what had caught her eye for all this time.

_No! It can't be. She's dead... Isn't she?!_

A few feet ahead of me, in the deep, white snow, lies a necklace. A little gray chain with a small, silver spider-web hanging on the end as a pendant. The last and only time I ever saw that necklace was around Moth's neck. Moth, the deranged fairy who had fantasies of Puck and herself ruling over the humans and rebuilding Faerie.

But that's...that's impossible. Is she...dead? I hope so. Good riddance. She deserves it. But why would she be here? Last I heard, Queen Titania had her locked away in a jail cell with fairies at every entrance. So why would her necklace be here?

Nevertheless... "Daphne, we have to go home," I say softly, for fear of wolves hearing us.

"Why?" she asks, simple and just as soft, sounding as curious as a little child.

"Please, Daphne, we have to go back in," I insist.

"Why?" she asks again.

"It's just...ugh! Please, Daphne. Come back to the house with me. It's cold out here." I don't know why I can't answer her clearly. I want to; I just can't. It's scary and yet frustrating. Suddenly, I hear a faint howl far away.

"Daphne, hurry before they come," I say, taking her hand and running towards the direction of Uncle Jake's house. But her hand just slips away.

"Come on, Daphne, please," I beg, growing tenser with each second, for the howls grow louder.

"I can't, Sabrina," she answers simply.

"Why not?! We have to go! Now!" She's seriously starting to get on my nerves.

"Because, Sabrina. Because it isn't our real home. Because it's not real. None of it is. Nothing's real anymore. It just isn't. Can't you see that?" As she says those last four words, she stands up and turns to me so that I can fully see her face for the first time. Instantly I step back in shock. Instead of the innocent look she's always had on her face as a young girl, there's a look of blank happiness that I've seen on crazies when we took a wrong turn to the hospital for a check-up last year in New York City. And her eyes are wet from tears, but when she lets them flow down her cheeks, I see they're tears of blood.

_What in the world is happening? Is this the real Daphne or a psyco escaped from a nearby asylum? Maybe Red's craziness rubbed off before Daphne extracted it with the kazoo all those years ago and it hasn't shown until now. Or..._

_What happened?!_ I just can't stop asking the question inside my head.

_What in the world happened?_

The howls. They're getting closer. Oh, God, what am I supposed to do now?

"Daphne, come on, please," I plead, growing more helpless with each passing second.

"If you want," she says, hesitantly.

"Yes," I sigh in relief. "Yes, I want you to come. And fast. We have to hurry, Daphne."

"Okay," she says, skipping after me, hands in her pocket. I thank my stars once more before running through the night, looking back every now and then to make sure my sister hasn't abandoned me. But she hasn't. So I trudge on. It's as dark and blurry as ever and I can barely make out where we are. Left, right, left, right, they're all the same. Intent on not giving up, yet with anxiety clawing at my heart every second, my eyes search frantically for any sign of our bearings.

Another howl. They're even closer now than they were before. Then suddenly, there's a flash of brown-gray and within a moment, a ravenous wolf is standing barely a few feet away, canines gleaming in the dark. _Oh, God._

"Daphne, stay where you are," I warn her, watching the wolf's hungry eyes race from me to Daphne as if watching a tennis match.

"But why? Why did you stop?" She's asking me this as if it's a simple, ordinary thing like what the weather's gonna be like tomorrow.

"Daphne, there is a _wolf_ right in _front_ of us. Can't you see it?"

"No," she answers softly.

Bewildered, I turn around. And the wolf jumps.

"Daphne, run!" I shout.

"But I can't see anything," she insists.

"Why?"

"Because, Sabrina, there's nothing there and you know it! You're just making it up to scare me." By now, the wolf's circling her closely and she doesn't even cast one glance towards it.

"Daphne, I mean it, I'm not making anything up. Run! Now!" I cry out as I see another wolf prowling in the shadows. Suddenly, it lunges, going for my neck, but somehow I manage to stop it, my hands driving a wedge in it's mouth. "DAPHNE!"

"I can't see them, Sabrina, I can't," she cries desperately.

I can't answer her, I'm too busy struggling with the wolf's teeth—and let me tell ya, they hurt like crazy, sharp as they are. The next thing I know, the wolf falls limp around my hands, and when I let it go, it runs away, back into the darkness. Strange. But good riddance.

"Daphne," I call. The growls behind me have quieted down. Did she fight them of, too?

"Daphne," I call again. "Daphne where are you? It's okay; they've gone. They won't bother us anymore." Quietness answers me.

"Daphne!" There's no one in sight.

"DAPHNE!" Nothing.

After a while of looking for her in the blurs of white, I finally find her.

Her body.

Oh, God.

She's lying on the frozen ground, bloody and cut everywhere. Oh, God.

How could I let this happen?! How?! I promised! I promised to take care of her! I promised!

Oh God.

She's dead.

Dead.

All of them...dead.

No real family anymore.

Dead…

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

_Darkness surrounding me, a cold wall at my back, nothing in sight, I can only wonder where the heck I am._

_Sitting in darkness, my eyes search frantically for light. _

_But my search is unsuccessful. _

_Not one thing in sight. _

_Not one shimmer._

_Not one glow._

_Not one._

_I pull my legs up,_

_All the way up to my chest and hug my knees close,_

_A pounding in my head threatening to break my skull and pull free._

_It grows worse and worse with each breath I take. Hot tears stream down my cheeks, unbidden._

_I stand up in the darkness, and move my legs this way and that._

_It hurts horribly and spreads pain up my thighs and back, _

_All the way to my head. And it pounds once more._

_Again and again._

_I walk down the dark streets, _

_Or are they halls? Still, I shiver with each step I take._

_And with each step, a sudden thud goes through my heart._

_Down the dark and lonely path I go, weeping with loathsome, stacked-up force._

_Bottled up hate erupts and tears cascade out my heart. _

_Darkness beckons and I unconditionally oblige._

_Who am I to refuse?_

_Too much sadness, _

_Too much feeling._

_I can no longer survive_

_Only on the hope that everything_

_Will someday change back to the way it was._

_No more, please, no more; I can't take much else._

_This never-ending wait will no longer do. And so I move on._

_Trudging on, through the shadows, lost in the obscurity of night._

_Alone, once again…_

* * *

**Puck's point of view...**

Standing there at her door, watching her sleep, was like an early Christmas present. She looks so peaceful in slumber, her shiny hair like a thick halo around her head. Her rosy lips are slightly open, a soft snore escaping now and then. She looks like a princess. My princess. I smile to myself as I mull that over, enjoying the sound of it.

_Sabrina. My princess._

I close the door behind me and cross the plum carpeting, stopping at her bed and lying besides her. Caressing her pale cheek with two fingers, I whisper softly in her ear—that I love her; that she's beautiful—wondering whether she could hear me in her sleep. Suddenly, she shifts and turns, pulling my hand along with hers and holding on to it tightly.

Ow! I grimace at the pain, then smile. Even when she's asleep she likes causing me pain. Why, I could... No. She's asleep. That would just be cruel. Besides, we're older now. Pranks are just childish immature outbursts to declare our adolescence. Or at least, that's what she says.

As she lies in her warm bed, I stare in wonder at her long hair. Why in the world she would keep it that long, I'm not exactly sure. But I sure do love playing with it. It feels so soft and silky in my fingers. As gold as real nuggets; like a crown. A crown of gold for my princess.

And her eyes. When she's happy, they sparkle their true blue. When she's angry at some prank I pulled, they darken and she yells.

And her beautiful voice that sings when she's in the shower. How it grows low and threatening at times, too.

But nevertheless, she'll remain my princess. Quite a feisty one, though.

A long time ago I would have suspected that aliens have tampered with my mind if I thought such things. Or I would just, plain and simple, deny my love for her. Or shake my head, trying to clear my mind and threaten it heartily, every time a thought about her eyes or lips broke through. Oh, her lips. So pink and full. I could just kiss her. And I do.

But as I lower my head down, breathing softly against her slightly freckled cheek, I notice that her eyelashes are glistening with wet stuff. After a few brainless moments of wondering what the heck that it, I move my hand and gently wipe the tears away, trying not to wake her from her peaceful slumber.

…Back when my father first told me that I was to marry Moth or be kicked out of his home, I was enraged. Or at least, that's how others saw me. Inside, I was helpless, wondering where in the world could I go. I had heard politicians in the Golden Egg talking about Ferryport Landing, a place brimming with Everafters of every kind. Rumor was, the ones who headed there were never heard from again.

The fairy godfathers and guards of my father thought the worst, assuming they were killed or eaten alive by Baga Yaga, who was said to reside in Ferryport Landing. Or maybe the other Everafters trapped them there for some odd reason. Maybe Prince Charming had gotten a hold of them and tricked and/or forced them to work for him so that he could rebuild his old kingdom.

They say that when Wilhelm Grimm journeyed to America with the Everafters on the _New Beginning_, they had to use a whole ship for Charming's wealth. And when it sank in the middle of the ocean, the prince was enraged and has been trying to gather up what he lost and rebuild his kingdom ever since. What a self-absorbed egomaniac!

But I had other theories. I actually thought they loved the place so much, they couldn't bare to leave it! How wrong I was.

Yes, I know. What a foolish idea. But at the time, even at 400 years old, I was still immature and not knowledgeable enough about the world outside the areas my mother and father always ruled. And so, I became trapped in Ferryport Landing, along with my minions, the loyal pixies. I found the forest and easily managed to live life to its fullest. Well, as best as I could in a place with no real civilization.

After journeying around the town at night, I found out where the coffee shop owned by Briar Rose and her fairy godmothers was; the location of the Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick Maker's shops; Old King Cole's Restauraunt; the Blue Plate Special diner; where the big supermarket run by Rapunzel and Little John's wife was located; and where the most important place to avoid beyond all cost stood, Manor Charming.

I would spend most of the day having fun in the forest like Robin Hood and his men, though they were just starting work as lawyers at the time and I admired them for standing up to Charming's laws. I would play in the ponds and swing from branch to branch, occasionally playing pranks on passersby—dropping glop grenades on them; having my pixies bite them if they got too close to my lair; even sneaking into their stuff and replacing everything with worms and critters, my forest friends.

Then, at night, I would break into the store room in the supermarket and eat anything I could get my hands on. But most of the bread was stale, the coke tasteless, cake way too frosty, eggs raw, and most of the food had already gone to waste. But seeing as how this was the only was I could eat food, I didn't complain.

This went on for a while, until The Three finally convinced Charming to hire Relda Grimm—an old lady with a weird German accent, numerous colorful sunflower hats, a friendly Great Dane, and the Big Bad Wolf as a companion. The traitor. She figured out that I was the one who was driving Rapunzel and Franny Little out of business, but instead of letting Charming stick me in the Ferryport Landing jail, she convinced him that as long as I was fed, I wouldn't bother him anymore. She even made me promise that. I refused to at first, telling her villains don't even keep promises. But it was worth it when I finally did. Her food was great.

The old lady and I became...not friends exactly—villains don't have time for friends—but companions, helping each other out. And let me tell ya, she made a mean dish of squid ink spaghetti with curry sauce and emerald green meatballs. De-licious!

I still insisted on living in my forest, but when her granddaughters moved it a couple of years later, I began to have second thoughts. If I moved in, I would have more people to prank. Plus, it's easier to prank people in the same house. I looked forward to it.

When I first saw the old lady welcome the two girls to the house and the old wolf carrying their bags, I thought for sure now she wouldn't have more time for me, doting more on her real grandchildren. But then the pranking idea got in my head.

One night when I was at the edge of the woods, lying on a branch in a tree and looking at the stars, something caught my eye. In a window of the old lady's house was a blond girl about my age—my physical age, at least—and another younger brunette who must have been her sister. The blond was quite a beauty for her age, high cheekbones, a bright blue in her longing eyes, her complexion like the fairy princesses in mom's old photo albums, and hair like an angel.

At first, I thought this girl was toying with me, making me have weird thoughts about her. I just pushed them aside and tried to hide my true feelings by playing tricks on her and being as annoying as my puckish self could be. I denied my love for her countless times and even declared war on her for giving me her puberty virus.

Now back to the trees. I squinted to try and see what the girls were doing. It looked like the older was trying to convince her sister to escape out the window.

I had laughed at her stupidity; her naïveness. Didn't she know the wolf had ears like a...well, like a wolf? She obviously wouldn't have been able to get out of the house without Canis going off to warn their grandmother or stopping them himself. Making a split-second decision, I decided to have fun with the situation at hand.

Retrieving my flute from my green hoodie, I blew a played a song with many high notes, nodding my head towards the house so my minions would know where to go, and sat back farther in the tree lest they see me, intent on enjoying my first trick on the innocent girls.

As the pixies flashed their lights and played pretty, the girls were mesmerized, probably thinking they were harmless lightning bugs. Ha! But before they could open the window, the old man barged in through the door and locked the window. Sulking, I called the pixies back to me, intent on getting my revenge, or at least another chance to prank them.

You know the rest: when they tried to run away again, I sent my pixies after them and they sure bit hard. Though it was a pity they bit too hard on the younger one; the sight of her swatting at them like flies and nearly scolding them as if they were little children was hilarious! But when they had to go back in the house, I felt lonely again.

Then when they stumbled onto my lair, I almost succeeded in making them walk the plank. Too bad the blond—whose name I later learned was Sabrina—pushed me in instead. Luckily I had my wings to save me—no matter how pink and girly-looking they were.

After they told me they needed my help in rescuing the old lady and the wolf from a giant, I decided to help them, even though I was clearly a villain of the worst kind. I made to sure to remind them that before they got too used to relying on me to always save the day. True, I threatened to give up my hero days it a couple times, but somehow I always wound up saving Sabrina and Daphne quite a number of times.

Though, if you really wanna know why I did it, it was because of Sabrina—the one I decided to nickname Ugly to hide my true feelings for her—and how she made my thoughts get all jumbled up. Curse women and their beauty.

Sure, pranks were a good distraction and a brilliant way of hiding the strange emotion forcing their way to me. But later on, after I found out Ugly and I wind up married together in the future and decided that I couldn't declare war on her and her sister forever, I gave in to the fact that I loved her. I confessed the sad fact to her, too.

But instead of punching me in the gut again when I kissed her, back in the Book of Everafters, she actually kissed me back. And ever since then, I've been convinced that she and I belong together. In fact, in the end, I stopped being a villain for Sabrina. I always said it was because the Grimms always needed saving and would have died if I hadn't saved them from the giants, Rumplestitskin, the Jabberwocky, my deranged ex-fiancée, the evil and cowardly Oz, his six-story robot, the Scarlet Hand dragons, and who knows what else.

But truthfully, it was because I wanted to save _her_; I couldn't bare to let anything happen to Sabrina because of the traitor feelings that arose the first time I laid eyes on her. And now, la-dee-da, I'm a hero. Though it's so not easier than being a villain, let me tell ya! Having to constantly rescue my damsel in distress, or at least protect her as long as I can. She even made me watch out or other people as well, mainly close friends and family. Nevertheless, it's worth it; the long, sweet kisses she sometimes rewarded me with; her warm hugs that were so tight, I could smell her strawberry-scented shampoo…

I look at her now, sleeping peacefully, cheeks softly blushing and rosy, luscious lips so tempting. I lean even farther, determined to steal another kiss.

But suddenly, her eyes snap open and her eyes search around frantically, as fast as my wings flap when I fly. And before I can say a single word, more tears wallow in her eyes, spilling out on her cheeks, and she begins punching me on my chest. She nearly knocks the wind out of me before I can ask what happened, all the while repeating one word. "Dead". What the hell?! Plus, the crying... I could never handle crying so well. We could be fighting and when she brings the waterworks I would always give in so easily. Curse tears.

"…it's all your fault! Dead! They're all dead! Why didn't you come?! Why did you leave me?! Why, why, why?! Now they're dead! Dead, dead, DEAD!" She looks so heartbroken as she says that I feel so sorry for her yet can't help wondering in what universe would I ever leave her in a weak state.

"Sabrina, Sab-Sabrina, stop! Wh-What the hell—B-brina!" But it's no use. She just keeps right on pounding against my chest with her fists, sobbing out the single dreadful word with enough force that I almost believe for a second that someone really did die. Knowing I'm not gonna get any answers until she calms down, I hold her tight as she squirms against me. But after a while, she's no longer hitting me so hard and her cries have turned to just sniffles and silent tears.

"Hush, Brina. Everything's okay. Don't worry." I hold her close, for fear she'll run away. She must have had a bad dream. Or... I don't know! Something... "What happened, Brina?" I ask quietly after a few more weak pounds.

"Dead," she sniffles. I could swear her pout could break apart a huge battle between life-long enemies. And those tears. Those precious tears, like liquid crystals flowing down her porcelain face. "I trusted you... I trusted you and you didn't come. I loved you, Puck... Why didn't you come?" A little disturbed by the past tense she used, I turned her around in my arms.

"Brina—Sabrina, look at me!" I start, gentle but firm. "I love you. With all my heart, I love you. Obviously, if I ever had the nerve to leave you, it would either be in case of a dire emergency or because I was forced. I love you, Sabrina Grimm, I swear it," I repeat, looking her squarely in the eyes. Tears are still flowing down her cheeks, her mouth still obviously choking back sobs. But the wild look in her eye has settled to a calmer, more loving look as she stares back at me.

"Promise?" she asks, a playful smile on her heart-broken face.

"Promise," I assure her. But before I can say another thing, she collapses in my arms, and they automatically tighten around her, hugging her tight. We lay like that for a while longer, her still sniffling occasionally, me holding her tightly, determined to not let go until morning. After a while, her breathing slows down and soft snores escape her mouth. I can't help but notice how cute she looks, lost in peaceful dreams of other places—save the occasional nightmares.

She looks so lost in tranquility that I bend down once more and kiss her temple lightly, catching the faint smell of stawberries in her hair. She barely stirs in my arms; I hold her tighter, more securely, determined not to let her escape. After a few moments of staring in amazement at her physical and internal beauty, wondering how in the world I got so lucky to score such a warm soul and great-looking girl, she opens her small mouth once again and says,"Don't leave me..."

"Never," I assure her before settling my head down on the comfortably soft pillow and closing my eyes, welcoming sleep. But just before I fall into mysterious dreams of unconsciousness, my princess speaks once more.

"Don't leave me..." she whispers again.

"Don't worry, Grimm. I'm not going anywhere."

**

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**

**A/N: **Sorry if the dreams were lame or badly written, but it's pretty hard to write sad scenes when you're high off chocolate. I was practically rolling on the floor laughing for no reason at all (unless you find grass funny) but I couldn't afford to wait till I was better cause I had to finish the chapter ASAP. So yeah...

As for Puck's OOC-ness...well, we're not all Michael Buckley, here! Plus, they've grown. Obviously, his vocabulary's gonna expand and he's gonna think more lovingly of Sabrina. ^^

Yes, puckish is a word. Look it up yourself if you think I'm lying.

So, I hope this chapter clarified some stuff as well as left others a mystery. Especially Moth's necklace. I know, I know, it wasn't mentioned in the books. Just pretend it was. Cause it's gonna be important. You'll see...

MWAHAHAHAHA! xD

Anyways, I'm not updating till **reviews** reach **mid-60's**. Yes, I like reviews. They would be BERY, BERY helpful. So pweaeaeaease tell me what you thought. And I know you're there! You read but don't review! WHY?! WHY, WHY, WHY?! =,(

So if you don't review, your names won't be mentioned in the regards. *blows raspberry* So ha!

Thanks to **Lara D** (thanks for the reminder to update and I seriously love your reviews but please try not to spam ;P)** , Squiggles**(aka ~~~~; sorry but referring to you as Squiggles is easier--unless you have any problems with it^^)**, Alice Alee, Francesca Halikias**(thanks for liking the last chapter xD)**, Bluestocking inc., Beachgirlygirl, 12grimmfan21, The Grimm Smiler :)**(I agree whole-heartedly; that's why there's a non-flashback Puckabrina chappie coming soon ^^ **Preview**: it takes place on Thanksgiving^^)**, brii, Kloe, **and** BookLoverXgoogle** for reviewing. ^^

THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU GUYS!!!!!

If you're sad your name was not mentioned, REVIEW! Please?! x)

**65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65, 65** or else... xD

**REVIEW AND I'LL SEND YOU A PREVIEW ABOUT "THANKSGIVING"!!!!!**

Or y'all could wait till next summer for an update if you don't wanna review. ;P

Eagerly awaiting reviews so that I can update next chapter that may or may not be in my 9,000 worded chappies collection,

~Ly


	7. Thanksgiving

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Yeah, sad.**

**Sorry for the shortness.**

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_**7. Thanksgiving**_

_**That's How You Know ~ Demi Levato**_

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"Puck, can I have the remote?"

"No."

_"Please?!"_

"No."

"Pretty please?!"

"Why?"

"Cause I wanna change the channel."

"No."

"But I wanna watch MTV!"

"Oh. Well, in that case, NO!"

"Puck!" I whine. "Gimme the remote!"

"WHY?! Wrestling is educational and important! It teaches you the basics and shows how champions prove themselves."

You know, normal people would be watching a football game on a Thanksgiving Sunday afternoon. But no, my crazy fairy boyfriend enjoys wrestling before the big meal. Don't ask me why, I honestly have no idea.

"But I wanna watch the new music videos, not see silly, fat guys push each other around in their underwear!"

"That is not underwear, that's a champion's uniform of fame, glory and honor! Besides, if you wanna hear some silly songs, go listen to your little frog-pod thing."

"It's called an iPod! God, sometimes you're just too clueless, Puck!"

"If I'm so clueless, leave me to be educated by our 21st century friend, the television set!"

"Sabrina! Can you call your sister and Red to come help us with the Thanksgiving dinner?" Mom calls from the kitchen. "The whole meal's going haywire, we're all busy, and we need someone to bake the brownies."

"Daphne! Red! Come downstairs! Granny, Mom, and Goldi are cooking in the kitchen and need your help with the brownies!" I yell as I lean over Puck. He and I are sitting at the couch in Granny's living room watching wrestling, while the women are cooking and baking and who knows what else.

Yeah, it's true I should be calling Goldi as Auntie, though she hates it when people call her a wife or anyone's aunt, let alone a mother, even if her son is currently having a play-date upstairs with Andy and the Charming twins. So she made Daphne and I refrain from calling her Aunt Goldi. She also said she would boil us alive if we call her anything other than her nickname. Even though no one takes Goldi's threats seriously--seeing as how she looks like an angel who communicates with animals and enjoys rearranging furniture, not an heir of Baga Yaga--we still call her Goldi in case she turns out like one of those OCD freaks who spaz on you out of nowhere. No offense to any OCD people, of course.

Barely two seconds after I call them, young teen footsteps are heard trampling like elephants down the stairs.

"Did someone say brownies?" asks Red, who doesn't usually say much, so it's enough to surprise Puck so I can take the remote from his hand.

"Hey!" he protests angrily.

"Oh, stop being such a baby!" I say to him, then turn to the girls. "And yeah, Granny, Mom and Goldi need you guys to bake the brownies for the Thanksgiving dinner in a few hours. They're pretty up-tight since Elvis slobbered all over the mashed potatoes and I _may_ have accidentally set the turkey on fire."

"Oh, no!" cries Red.

"Why don't _you_ help with the brownies, Brina?" asks Daphne.

"Daphne, did you not hear what I just said about the turkey? You know I'm pretty bad at cooking. The only thing I can make without ruining some way or another is grilled cheese. Well, 54 percent of the time."

"What about the other 46 percent?" asks Red instantly, being quite the mathematician.

"She sets the microwave on fire 'cause she forgets to take the plastic wrapping off the cheese," Puck puts in as he suddenly begins tickling me then pulls the remote from my hand when I let go for just the smallest second.

"Puck!" I whine.

"Wha-at?" he shoots back in a sing-song voice.

"Give me the freakin' remote!" I yell, trying to get it while he moves his arm out of my reach, all the while keeping his eyes glued to the tv screen.

"Where's Dad and Uncle Jake?" asks Daphne.

"We're out of coke, so they went to the nearby supermarket to get some," I explain while trying, unsuccessfully, to retrieve the remote from the idiot wrestling-obsessed fairy.

"Why's there no coke?" my sister asks again while making her way towards the kitchen.

"Oops. My bad," Puck says with a huge burp as he tosses aside an apparently empty soda can.

"Typical," I reply, picking up the can and tossing it is the nearby trash bin.

"Wow, Puck, you drink a LOT!" says Red.

"You have no idea," says Daphne as they make their way towards the kitchen.

"Hey, I am a growing boy!" he yells after the two.

At the same time, Mr. Clay comes down holding a wailing Ryan a yard away with his chubby knee leaking thick drops of blood and the front door opens to give way to the Grimm brothers, arms overflowing with bags of soda cans, laughing their heads off.

"QUIET! Mr Fuji's about to half-nelson King Curtis! Curtie's already beat so bad that Fuji may win this round! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR FUJI MAY WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP! HE WILL BE THE MOST UNSTOPPABLE-- "

"Will someone please shut that boy up!" Dad yells as Uncle Jake gives him his bags and makes his way over to the now-confused, yet still crying Ryan.

"Gladly," I say, as an idea suddenly pops into my head. I take action and block Puck's view by bringing my lips down in his in a capturing kiss. Certainly not what Dad meant, I know, but good enough to get Puck to shut up and surrender the remote.

"Ha! And the Queen of Sneaks steals the remote from the Trickster King and the crowd goes wild!" Literally. Mom and Goldi came in the living room screaming their heads off because the back-up turkey got burnt and there's no more turkeys left in the fridge.

"Ugh! I guess that means another trip to the supermarket!" groans Uncle Jake. "You women sure know how to drive a man insane."

"But you still love us," Goldi says, calming down to give her husband a short but passionate kiss before taking Ryan from his arms then pushing him out into the cold November rain.

"You too, bud," Mom warns Dad.

"What? I don't get a kiss?" But unfortunately, Mom is more short-tempered than Goldi and throws a big wooden spoon after Dad as he runs out and slams the door behind him, barely escaping his wife's animosity.

I go back to the tv and change the channel to MTV, and sit back in contempt pride.

"Grr," Puck grumbles from besides me.

"Oh, stop acting like a big baby! Seriously, Puck, you are the sorest loser I ever had the misfortune to meet. In fact-- "

But before I can finish my sentence, I find myself suddenly air-born, then crashing down onto the poor sofa, which makes me spring back up again. Then before I know it, I find myself in a cage made by Puck's arms, encircling me in an iron grip.

I try to wiggle out but he interrupts me, saying, "No, Brina, I'll have none of that! Sit still would ya?"

And that is my only choice, seeing as how he is much stronger than me. So I sigh in defeat and he curls me in a ball against his chest, holding me more securely than iron chains, though this is definitely a more comfortable situation to find oneself in.

I try to glare daggers at him but fail miserably, for I know Puck himself knows I only barely mean it. Instead of releasing me however, he tightens his hold and his lips take the form of his trademark smirk, his eyes sparkling with the familiar mischievous glint.

Suddenly, I find his lips on mine for the second time that afternoon, capturing my lips in a lengthy kiss so sweet and tender that I wonder for a second if he switched places with Mustardseed, for I know the Trickster King's younger brother had taken a slight romantic interest in me ever since he lost his last girlfriend, a distant faerie princess's daughter.

But what am I thinking? Would Puck actually switch places to escape me after all we've been through? After so many years and months apart? Well...

"Can I watch MTV now?" I ask softly in defeat, after he releases my lips from his quite tempting ones.

"Why, of course, my fairly ugly lady," he replies, and I only have a second's warning to punch him in the jaw, though I end up missing horribly. Instead of a snort from the Prince of Delinquents, though, I feel him rearranging us so that I am somewhat more conveniently seated in his lap. Satisfied, I try staring at the tv screen but can only pay attention to his soft breath at my neck.

Knowing for sure that I'll never be able to watch anything with him distracting me, I slip down a bit, making myself comfortable by snuggling in the folds of his arms, and feel my eyelids droop in the warmth all around me, with his sweet breath like a lullaby to the child within.

As I slowly drift off to sleep, I know, even before dinner starts, that this just might be the best Thanksgiving I've ever had.

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**A/N: **Sorry if the wrestling thing made no sense--I know basically nothing about wrestling. I just looked up wrestlers, so just pretend it did make some sort of sense.

And no, Sabrina is not preggo.

Yet.

Mwahahahaha.

Ha.

Ha.

Never mind. The child within thing is just figuratively speaking, meaning Puck was lullabying Sabrina to sleep.

Isn't that so sweet?! ^^

If not, tell me. If yes, also tell me.

I NEED TO KNOW!

Sorry, I'm high off chocolate again. It's not my fault my mom just bought a ton of early Halloween candy and left it on the kitchen table! Well, maybe.

Though who knew Remus Lupin was right when he said chocolate was good for a person?!

I did. ^^

If you don't know who Lupin is, he's the good werewolf from the Harry Potter series. ^^

But then he died.

T-T

So yeah. Thanks for everyone who reviewed... **BookLoverXgoogle**,,** 12grimmfan21**(thank you so much for your lovely compliment ^^), **she wants to move**,** random**(if you still don't get it, there's an explanation below), **Bluestocking inc.**, **Beachgirlygirl**, **Alice Alee**, **brii**(sorry it made you cry), and **Kloe.**

**=1=2=3=4=5=6=7=8=9=**

**EXPLANATION OF PREVIOUS CHAPTER: **Sorry if last chapter was too confusing for some people. Basically, Sabrina had a dream about Granny's house being burned down by the old Scarlet Hand members then the flames and smoke made her hallucinate and she thought she was dying. In her dream world, she woke up to a crying yet relieved Daphne inside Uncle Jake's house--which was a gift from Charming. OOC, yeah, but it was a dream.

So then a few days later, Sabrina saw someone in a purple coat outside in the snow. When she decided to check it put, she saw it was Daphne, who touched Moth's necklace and went crazy. (Refrence to cursed necklace from the sixth Harry Potter book, for those of you who've read it or seen the load of crap people like to call 'the movie'.) So then when the wolves came, poor Daphne couldn't see them **(that will be explained in a later chapter)** and so was eaten by them. So sad, yes. =,[ The poem too. Well, it started out as a poem. I'm not sure if it counts as one now. Just thoughts of a depressed person, I guess. But still...

Anyways, then it's from Puck's POV of how cute Brina looks asleep, how he got so lucky, and a quick recap on how they met and stuff from before that. Then she wakes up, freaks out on him, then they fall asleep together with him assuring her that he'll never leave her and he'll love her forever. So cute! ^^

**=9=8=7=6=5=4=3=2=1=**

S'anyways, **reviews need to reach** **75** before next update.

**75!**

**75!**

**75!**

**75!**

~Ly ;)


	8. Off to Camp

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada, zilch, not even emptiness.**

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_**8. Off to Camp**_

_**Already Gone ~ Kelly Clarkson**_

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**Daphne's point of view...**

I sit on the ledge of my window, looking out at all the rain drenching the world outside.

The millions of droplets pitter-patter against the glass as I lay still on the purple checkered comforter over the window seat and wonder how everything became the way it is.

Only last month, I was playing with Andy and watching a new movie on Disney Channel, oblivious to the one person who would soon betray me. Yet he is also the one who will now hate my guts forever. And yet at the same time, he is the one person I haven't been able to stop thinking about ever since I first looked into his deep blue-green eyes. Those perfect orbs with gold flecks around the iris...

It all started a while back, when I went to camp for spring break a few months after Puck came back from Asia. He had been staying at Aladdin's kingdom in Baghdad--who knew the Arab Everafters were such good friends with Queen Titania?--and convinced Sabrina that life isn't all full of sadness and despair.

I wish someone could convince me the same...

_

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_

_Flashback_

I stood there, against my bedroom banister, staring at everything I was gonna be leaving behind for the next fourteen days. I wonder if I'm gonna miss anything...or anyone...

Sabrina? Most likely not. She's been such a... well, such a bitch, lately. I know, I know. Wow, Daphne, that's such a big word for you! Are you sure you mean it? Maybe you just don't know what it means.

Hell, yeah, I know what it means. I know what hell means too, if you're wondering. I'm not innocent, little marshmellow, anymore. I've grown up. Everyone grows up, so why shouldn't I?

Would I miss Puck, though? Not his pranks, that's for sure. Definitely the way he thinks of me on the same level, not like I'm some little girl who needs to be babied and taken after all the time.

Mom, I would miss, definitely. She, at least, has moved her over-motherly ways to treating Andy with great care. Though it's a bit sad that I'll never be the family baby again. Sure, it's a great weight off my shoulders, but I sure do miss being the center of attention sometimes--

Hell, why am I being like this? That's the reason I'm going away, isn't it? To stop being in the great big spotlight my whole family seems to enjoy. At school, for Sabrina and Puck being popular, and in Ferryport Landing and the Golden Egg for the rest of the family, being part of the great Everafter War which put the Scarlet Hand in hiding. Everywhere I turn a grateful Everafter wants to shake my hand or thank me for everything me and my family's done or introduce me to fellow grateful Everafters.

At school, crowds swallow up my sister 'cause she willingly gets involved in middle-of-the-night parties that everyone talks about in school. And her prankster fairy boyfriend practically drowns in praises from female and a few male admirers for his, as he puts it, "hotness." His latest catch-phrase's even been "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful." But yeah, I'm grateful for the scolds he receives from Brina when he says that.

But it's just... I just wanna blend into the lockers for once. I know, terribly cliché. But that's why I've signed up for the Camp Eastwood Program. According to the booklet handed out by my English teacher, the district chooses three high schools to send sixty students to--twenty students per school; five from each grade--to spend two full weeks at some camp a few miles south. They said it was a good way to cure the deep rivalry between schools and a good way to make friends with random strangers our age. I rejoiced at the idea and begged Mom and Dad to sign the permission slip and give the school the 70 bucks so that I could go.

Sabrina and Puck certainly aren't going because their friends invited them to spend winter break in Honolulu, Hawaii. Strangely, Puck didn't wanna go. But apparently he's promised not to go anywhere without Brina or leave her alone anymore. So sweet, but it only reminds me that no one will ever promise me that. I'm not pretty, like my sister. I'm no famous Everafter, like most of my friends. I'm not even that smart, either, unless you count my talent for being fairly good at writing poetry.

"_Daphne, hurry up!_" I heard Mom calling. Carefully pulling along the new suitcase Goldi got me for this trip, I made my way down to the living room. There, Goldi and Mom were sitting, drinking their morning coffee. Ryan was trying to climb out of his portable crib--quite unsuccessfully, too--as Andy was mesmerized by _The Wiggles _dancing on a lonely, sandy beach on the television.

"Is the bus here, yet?" I asked.

"Not yet, sweetie. But be ready. Here, I'll get you some waffles. I've been up since the crack of dawn with Goldi, cooking and baking enough food so we wouldn't all still be hungry after that fairy's finally full. I could swear, that boy could eat twenty horses and STILL be hungry," she said, shaking her head.

I took another look at her. She was wearing an apron over a t-shirt and jeans. Her short newly-cropped hair was brought back into a half pony-tail to get the hair out of her face while she worked, and her apron was covered from top to bottom in flour and water.

At the mere mention of the waffles, I perked up.

"Are they the glow-in-the-dark kind that Granny makes?"

"Yes." She laughed. "I'll pour you some camel-hump syrup Relda sent from her farm, too, if you want."

"Mom, you're the best! I'm gonna miss you so much there!"

"Me, too, sweetie," she said, smiling. "Me, too."

Luckily, I was able to wolf down three helpings of delicious waffles before my stomach finally proclaimed that it couldn't handle more. Knowing I'd upchuck if I had even one more bite, I pushed my plate away and chugged down a glass of grape juice.

"You can always call, you know." I looked to my right. Mom was standing at the stove with her apron on, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Mom, it's only two weeks!" I reminded her, yet my stomach was battling butterflies, and it wasn't from all the food I ate.

"Still... Oh, and your father wants to talk to you. He's in his study."

_Oh, great! And note the sarcasm._

Grumbling, I walked over to the door under the staircase and knocked. After a "come in" from inside, I turned the knob and entered.

Dad's study is basically a little room under the staircase with two walls lined completely with books. The other two had dark green wallpaper in a peacock feather pattern. Henry Grimm--a.k.a. ruler of the house and my sometimes-loving father--was sitting behind a mahogany desk, a pair of silver rimmed glasses on his nose, and a pen in his hands racing across a thick stack of papers. As I closed the door behind me, he looked up.

"Daphne," he said. "Sit down, sit down." I did, but I couldn't help noticing that he acted more as if I was client coming to see him about some business than his own daughter. "Now, you are going on a two-week trip with some friends to Camp Eastwood for spring break. When you are there I expect you to be on your best behavior and I better not get a call announcing that you got into any kind of trouble. Understood?"

I wanted to shoot back a sarcastic remark about me and trouble, because he knew I wasn't one to associate myself in anything of the sort. But he's been underestimating me ever since the day he and Mom finally woke him up. And every time I back-talked him, he would always punish me in some way. I didn't wanna end up spending spring break alone at home while Sabrina and Puck went to Hawaii with friends and Hayley went off to visit family with Red. So I clamped my mouth shut and nodded.

"Good... And, Daphne, I want you to know that...well, I don't mean to be the bully all the time. It's just... Well, you're growing up. You're not a sweet, innocent, little four-year-old girl anymore--No, no, you're still sweet and innocent...at times," he stammered.

I felt my face heat up in anger, but I knew that I should hold my tongue long enough to make it to the camp safely, with no punishments.

"But you _are_ growing up and that's most times both a good and bad thing for a parent. Daphne, I expect the best of you while you're there. So I don't want any funny business. I do care about you, Daphne, and I don't wanna see you get hurt... So, if you got in any trouble, you'll be grounded for a week after you come back. Have fun, but don't over-do it," he finished, his tone serious but his eyes twinkling.

I smiled back. He really did care. But as I got up from the fancy armchair, he interrupted me. When I looked back, he was standing only a foot away.

"And Daphne...I love you." He then opened his arms and enveloped me in a bear hug.

It's true, all men are wusses. They like to think that they're tough and manly, never crying and only swearing when something hurt, but when they were alone, I was convinced that they cried like babies.

Even so, I hugged him back.

"And don't forget to send pictures and bring back souvenirs," he added. "Both me and your mother want to know if you're truly having fun for spring break. So don't forget to take pictures with your new camera. And here's some money to buy some things you might like, or some things for the family," he said, giving me five green hundred-dollar bills. I felt my eyes nearly pop and I started protesting, but he interrupted me again.

"No, Daphne, you deserve this. Especially with the way I've been treating you. But before you go, can you give your old man another hug?" And I did. He smelled like sweat and dirt, but what did I care?! I had five hundred bucks to spend!

As I walked out, I pocketed the money. Entering the living room, I found Sabrina bouncing Ryan on her lap and Puck holding the remote control right above Andy's head as my little brother tried to retrieve it so he can go back to his show.

"DAPHNE!" And suddenly I was sailing across the room, long blond hair in my face. After Sabrina pulled me back up from her tackle, she hugged me again. "Have fun, sissy. Don't forget to message me about what happens, especially if you a meet a particular guy," she said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah, yeah. _If_ I do. And I doubt it."

"Oh, come on, there's someone out there for everyone," she said with a wink and a wide smile, and I didn't have the heart to correct her.

"Hey, marshmellow!" I looked to my left and saw Puck, his hand now buried in a bag of cotton candy he and Sabrina must have gotten yester

"Now, you know I'm not big on hugs but seeing as how we won't see you for two weeks... " And suddenly I found myself being squeezed to death. I hugged him back, too, though not as hard. As he stepped back, he nodded and said, "Oh, and I want pictures and other souvenirs--"

"Not you, too!" I said.

"--stuff like cups and pictures of you falling on your face and stuff."

I sighed. Boys were impossible. Especially one with pink wings, an unhealthy addiction to pranking, and an appetite as big as his ego.

There was a moment of awkward silence before he filled it with, "But you should stay away from boys. It would make us worry less."

"Puck! Stop discouraging her!" Sabrina said, punching him lightly on the arm.

"Well, sor-ry for wanting our wedding to come before hers! Who knows, she could meet a guy, some leap-years pass, and before we know it, she'll be beating us to the big white day." As soon as he finished speaking, Puck began to blush profusely, realizing what he just implied.

"Puck, that made no sense at all," my sister said, scowling, but everyone could see that she was also turning as beet red a tomato at the mention of a wedding, the delicate subject Mom and Dad had been forcing the lovebirds to discuss.

I looked back to Mom. More tears were flooding her eyes and she grabbed my hands.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"My baby girl is l-leaving..." she whimpered, her bottom lip quivering.

Sabrina, trying to lighten the mood, laughed. "Mom, she's just going to camp. She'll be back in two weeks. Meanwhile, I have one more year here before I leave for college, remember?"

But that only made her break out in tears. "My g-girls are l-leaving!"

"Mom, no worries, I'll be back soon," I said, and Sabrina and I hugged her tightly.

Over her shoulder, Puck was laughing and pointing at us. Sabrina and I stuck our tongues out at him simultaneously, and then I kissed Mom's cheek.

"Alright," she sniffled. "I... Umm... " Mom wiped her face with her floury apron. "I baked you cookies for the trip there and I packed your lunch," she told me, absentmindedly walking towards her ever-beloved kitchen.

Our grandparents on Mom's side had died a year back in a car accident, and so now she took anyone's leaving really hard.

"I want some cookies," Puck grumbled, following us into the main area of the house.

Sabrina smiled back victoriously. "Ask Mom to make some for you," she replied sarcastically, and went into the kitchen.

I smiled myself, knowing that even though Mom loved baking, she wouldn't make another batch for at least another week or so, and Puck would probably blow up Goldi's kitchen if he tried to make them himself.

When we got to the kitchen, I was welcomed by a giant box of cookies, enough to last two whole days, even if I sat on a couch all day and munched on them. "Mom! Wow! Thanks! But...how am I going to fit all this?" I asked, looking at my nearly over-stuffed lunch-box.

Mom just shrugged. "You'll fit it somehow," she said with a knowing smile and a sniffle, and wiped off her hands satisfactorily on her apron.

A few minutes later, I was all packed up and standing outside, waiting for the bus which seemed to take forever to arrive.

Mom, eyes now flooded with a fresh load of tears, opened her arms and rushed forward to hug me once more. "I remember," she said, "when you were still playing with Barbies and bubbles in the front yard. Now, you're all packed up, leaving me," she mumbled through her tears.

"Mom!" I exclaimed, trying to look at her in the eyes, but she wouldn't release her vice-like grip on me. "I'll be back! I promise! In two weeks, I'll be standing right here in this spot, and you'll run out to hug me, and welcome me home! I promise!"

Mom sighed, and sniffled again, her eyes starting to stop leaking already. "Alright. I love you, Daphne," she said, holding me at arm's length. Then, "I've got to go," she said. "Or I'll never let you leave."

She kissed me on the forehead and cheeks, and then left abruptly for her house with her head down. She really didn't want me to leave. While Andy was the baby boy, I would always be her baby girl, the more fragile of her three children. The more delicate. The more precious.

She would surely miss my company at night when the family sits down and watches a chick-flick that Puck always refuses to see. She would miss the fashion critique that I willingly offered sometimes before she left the house on dates with Dad.

But I could still call. Even if I did wanna escape all reality for a while, I'd still miss my family.

With another sniffle, Mom walked inside, and shut the door behind her.

Sabrina watched Mom leave. Then, she turned to me, arms crossed. "Well, I'll see you later, baby sis," she said.

I moaned. "How many times have I asked you not to call me that?" I asked her with a scowl.

My blond sister looked around and puckered her lips. "Ummm... " she thought out loud. "About...thirteen gazillion, fifty million, seven hundred and four."

I laughed. "That's not even a real number."

She nodded. "No, but four is, and it's the number of years I'm older than you," she said proudly, extending her arms.

So I launched myself right into them, and hugged her tight.

"Be good," she said. "But remember to have fun, even if Dad says not to over-do it and that he'll punish you if he gets a call about any trouble."

I opened my mouth to ask how she knew what he said but she interrupted me.

"How did I know? He pulled the same thing on me when I asked him if I could go with some friends to Hawaii for spring break. Money was no problem since I'd practically buried myself in work ever since we came back from Ferryport Landing, so all he could say was that I better not get in any trouble or else he'll ground me--What are you smiling about?!"

"Huh? Oh, nothing," I said, embarrassed.

"What is it this time, Daphne?"

"Nothing! Just that... Well, this is the first time we've ever been apart for longer than a day. In a really long time. And you're being really nice about it, not like how you were when...you know..."

"Yeah, yeah; I know. I was a bitch to nearly everybody, mainly you, ever since we came back. But for my defense, I wasn't complete. And it's never good when you attempt conversation with half a person, especially the very mad and pissed-off half. But when Puck came back..." she said, looking off into space with a smile on her face.

"You're so lucky, Brina. I wish I had someone like Puck."

"You could always go on a search for Peter Pan. Last I've heard he's somewhere down south, fighting with Cuban pirates."

"That's not what I meant," I said, playfully elbowing her in the ribs.

"Don't worry, Daphne; you'll find someone. And I bet you twenty dollars right here, right now, that you'll meet him at that camp."

Knowing she'd surely loose, I replied, "You're on, sister." And so we shook hands. Which led to hugs and more tears. Soon, the bus was around the corner and we were both wiping our eyes and the bus driver, a bald guy with a name-tag reading 'Tom', was helping me bring up my suitcase into the bus.

"Call me," she mouthed to me through the side window, a sad smile on her face.

I nodded and kept waving until we were all past a couple blocks and I couldn't even tell if anyone was there anymore.

Looking to my left, I saw an already fast-asleep Asian girl whom I vaguely remembered from school. Knowing the ride was gonna be long, I pulled out my iPod and drifted off to sleep listening to Kelly Clarkson sing about lost love.

* * *

**A/N:**

I am truly sorry for the long wait. Honestly and sincerely. I've just been so so so so so busy lately with school and stuff.

I also apologize for any OOC-ness up there. With school and everything, I rarely have time to bend the characters into their character. Plus, things make more sense if they act how I made them act. It kinda gets challenging to work around everything and make IC-ness fit in with the whole plot and junk. And I just don't have much time to check EVERYTHING anymore, so at least I updated.

So yeah. Thank you soooo much for reviews, you guys. And so, I'm mentioning you all in my acknowledgments for this chapter. Not because I'm copying this idea off Ayns and Sky! It's just 'cause I love reviews/reviewers and I practically praise you guys for telling me what you thought. Seriously, you guys are so AWESOME for reviewing! ^^

So thanks to **12grimmfan21**(sorry for the long wait), **Cookie-Dough-Always**, **JoshRamsayGrimmFever**, **Bluestocking Inc**, **NotSoNormal**,** brii**, **cathy83**, **Kloe**, **Alice Alee**, **BrendaReads-A-lot**, **ciarrah**, and **mindreadingweirdo **for the fantabulous reviews! I hope to hear what you guys thought of this chapter, too. No pressure, though. You don't have to review, unless you'd rather wait for June for an update. Or maybe Christmas. ^^

So I would like **85** reviews before next update, please. Just consider it a belated birthday present, seeing as how my birthday was the 6th of this month. The party was good, though. Cake, excellent. Chocolate with purple icing. Mmm...

So review. Please?!

Luvvies,

Ly ^^


	9. Devin O'Faolain

**Disclaimer: I own the plot, Devin O'Faolain, his family, Hayley, Daphne's camp friends/peers, and the brownies my mom made. Everything else belongs to Michael Buckley.**

**Also, thank you so much to the people who voted on my poll. Yes, the voting is over. The matter has been decided. Now go vote again if you want me to update. ^^  
**

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**_9. Devin _****_Ó Faoláin_****_  
_**

**_Start All Over ~ Miley Cyrus_**

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**Daphne's point of view...**

As we pulled up on the grounds, 'Tom' began announcing that we've arrived.

_Well, duh._

"Please retrieve your bags from the compartments above your seats and file out in an orderly line," he said, sounding too much like an airline recording machine. We did as he asked and when we all finally made it out of the big vehicle, there was a rather emaciated woman in a thick green sweater and cargo pants holding a clip-board, waiting for us.

"Hey, 'veryone. Name's Melanie Fox. M'gonna be your tour guide for the time being, before you're all separated into your cabin groups... _Pop_... M'also a head counselor for one of the groups so please be respectful unless you wish to spend your first day freezing your butts off in the main office. Both you and I wouldn't want that, and frankly we don't wanna hafta send a kid to the hospital a mile off so he or she could be defrosted... _Pop_... And I'm not kidding," she added to those who were chuckling in the back.

From the first minute I met her, I knew I would like this Melanie person. She had a strong Australian accent and kept popping a pink bubble with her chewing gum every now and then. I could tell she could be both serious and fun, and I wondered how old she was. She looked around the same age as Sabrina, so shouldn't she have been one of the campers not the head counselors?

Nevertheless. After she began calling off names, she lead us around the camp grounds, explaining that building P was the Physical Education Center--also known as the Gym, building C was the Cafeteria, the Art Hall was building A, etc. There were 12 cabins labeled from B-1 to B-6 and G-1 to G-6, B being for boys and G for girls. 60 students in all.

Thirty minutes later, we all were finally assigned our cabins. I was the last to be assigned to G-6 and since all the others had already left for lunch, I was left to find the cabin alone. It wasn't that difficult though, seeing as how there were signs everywhere. So I took my time, taking in the scenery, the pool, the lake, the cabins, the wash houses, the parks, the tennis courts, and the cafe.

Smiling, and thoroughly excited, I finally stopped in front of the cabin with 'G-6' drawn in slightly peeling green paint on the front door. After a couple knocks and voices from inside, I decided to go ahead in, suitcase in tow.

"Hello, there!" I heard a girl say as I entered the apparently crowdy room. "Welcome to Cabin G-6!"

Inside was a rather nice cabin, covered from head-to-toe in wood. Wood floors, wood paneling, wood ceiling. There was a light through a hole in the ceiling that hung in the center of the room. A red rug covered the main part of the floor, and was surrounded by colored pieces of furniture that, although mismatched, seemed to flow with the master design of the room. There was nothing on the walls, except for a sign gaily engraved with "_WELCOME TO CAMP EASTWOOD!_"

Looking around, I noticed there were more people than I expected to be in one cabin at a time. There were three blond girls in matching flip-flops crowded around their cell phones; a couple guys playing cards in a corner; a redhead laying on a couch with sunglasses pushed up her ponytail and a book covering her face; an Indian girl with wild black hair fiddling with her suitcase; a guy with jet black hair and a purple t-shirt, bobbing his head to music coming from the headphones around his neck while painting something on a wall opposite the redhead; and a blond, fairly tan guy in a blue polo looking down at me from the stairs which most likely lead up to the bedrooms.

He was kind of cute, in a fancy Abercrombie & Fitch kind of way.

There was also a brunette with a strikingly similar tan petting a stuffed tabby and looking straight at me. I noticed she had hazel eyes, just like Hayley. She must have been the one who welcomed me in.

"Um, hello?" I asked, uncertain of whether or not I should be here, since this cabin was obviously full.

The girl laughed. "Don't worry, you got the right cabin. You've just caught us at a bad time, is all. My name is Tess, by the way. Tess Tait. This, here, is Mimo," she said, pointing to the cat in her lap who, with a stretch and a meow, I realized was a real tabby. "I'll introduce you to the guys in the back when they're done with they're game. Uh, the blond squad over yonder are Kellie, Nikki, and Ania; the goody-goody with her nose in that book in the back is Jane; and the wanna-be artist entranced by screamo is Devin."

"Who's the guy upstairs?" I asked, looking up to where the blond guy was a few seconds ago.

"Oh, that's just Chris. He likes to sneak around and tease people a lot, but don't let that bother you." Then she lowered her voice and bent forward, as if we were the only two in the room. "He's also the mistake my parents made before me, but don't tell him that or else he'll pull endless pranks on you until camp's over. See, you're lucky. I actually have to live with the booger-brain," she said with a disgusted face.

I smiled and gave a internal cheer. After nearly an hour here, I've managed to find two people I could definitely like and who were actually friendly. "I'm Daphne," I offered.

"Hey, guys! Come meet Daphne!" she yelled to the guys in the back.

I tried smiling politely; I was really inexperienced in a group of guys. "Well, gentlemen, introduce yourselves. And, please, at least try to make our roommate comfortable. I have strokes to do and waves to crash so see y'all around," she said as she grabbed a small navy duffel bag and slammed the door behind her.

I looked at the guys who seemed a bit nervous. After a few seconds of awkward silence, an Asian guy with spiky hair and crutches spoke out. "Uh, hi. I'm Hoa Tran. I'd stay longer but I have an appointment with the camp counselor, so I better get going. See ya 'round," he said before departing with a helping hand from another guy.

"I'm Joshua Risi," said a rather large, muscled guy with brown hair, hazel eyes, and a strong Italian accent. The strange thing was...he saluted me. "And these guys are--"

"We can introduce ourselves, thank you very much, Josh," said a black guy with a shiny head. He was the one who helped Hoa out. Looking at his head, I wondered if he shaved all his hair off or if he really had none. "I'm Jaylani Scott, but people call me Jay," he said, giving me another salute. The look on my face must have shown my surprise because he said, "Josh and I are in ROTC--Recruting Officers Training Corpse. Sorry if you think it's weird but we're kinda used to saluting; it just stuck with us after being ordered around by our platoon leaders and Sargent Master--"

"Blah, blah, blah! No one cares, G-I Joe!" said another guy. He was a bit on the thin side with a cracked nose, a pronounced jaw, and girly eye-lashes. "Why, hello, there," he said to me, stepping closer and extending a hand. "I'm Richard Rizzo, but you can call me Ricky," he said, waggling his eye-brows.

_Pervert._

"It's Rizzo. Everyone calls him that," said the Indian girl from behind her suitcase.

_Come to think of it, he does look more like a Rizzo than a Ricky._

"Shut up, Reem," Rizzo said, sticking his tongue out.

"Ew, Rizzo! No one wants to see your long-ass tongue!" Reem shrieked.

"You're just jealous 'cause you didn't inherit our sacred ancestral gene!"

"Are they related or something?" I asked the bald guy. _What was his name again? Oh, yeah. Jay._

"Yes, ma'am; they're twins," Jay said. "Indian twins, to be precise. Came all the way from Mumbai, India as transfer students two years back."

"You know what?" I heard Reem say--most likely as a comeback to another insult from her brother. "People with long tongues are idiots!"

"Nu-uh!" I said, defense mechanism kicking in.

"What do you mean?" Reem asked, her hand in midair with a big brush hoisted up.

"Uh..." said I, realizing she was most likely about to throw the brush at Rizzo and beginning to regret I ever said anything. Even though I'd only known Rizzo for a minute, I was already regretting postponing his karma. "It's just... Well... Ihavealongtonguetoo."

Sadly, it was true. A gene I had inherited from Grandpa Basil, according to Granny.

"Oh, yeah? How long?" asked Josh, who just came back from the fridge with a soda.

To answer his question, I demonstrated.

"Damn, Dakota!" exclaimed Jay.

"Now, that's a long tongue!" said Josh.

"No kidding," said Reem. "Sorry if you got offended or anything--"

But I shook my head 'no'.

"Are you kidding me?! That's the longest tongue I've ever seen! It's even longer than mine! It reaches all the way to your chin! How-- Wh--"

"Oh, stop blabbering, Rizzo! We all know you're the jealous one now," Reem giggled.

"Jealous?! Why would I be jealous, thinking of all the things I could do with her tongue?" he shot back, winking at me simultaneously.

Embarrassed, I closed my mouth and went back to my suitcase.

"RICHARD RIZZO, DIDN'T MOM EVER TELL YOU TO NEVER TREAT A GIRL LIKE SHE'S A PIECE OF MEAT?!"

"I'm not the one with the change of clothes always down my bag!" he shot back with a head bob.

"Well, it's not my fault the Indian customs are sexist! Seriously, the reason why women have to wear wraps when men can wear whatever they want is beyond me!"

Feeling fairly awkward in this tense scenario, I did the one thing I knew could never fail. "Do you guys have any pie?" I asked, with big moon eyes. People were always telling me how adorable I looked when I ask for pie with my big brown puppy-dog eyes. And as usual, it worked liked a charm.

"Of course!" Reem gasped. "I'll get you some right now! I can't believe we didn't offer you any food after that long and tiring trip you must have had!" She then got up and headed towards the relatively small fridge in the back. I tried to follow her but got blocked by some guy. Taking another look, I realized it was Rizzo.

_Ugh! Will this guy never quit?!  
_

"Nu-uh-uh! I should show her around first and take her to get some real pie, saving her from your disgusting, tasteless cupcakes!" he said, taking me by the arm.

"Cupcakes?! It's not my fault they turn out a bit small!" Reem said.

"A _bit _small?! Try _super _small! Like, teensy! Seriously!" said a blond clone from the bed. The other two girls were still giggling over their phones but this one looked like she was about to throw a fit.

"Oh, please, Ania," Reem shot back in sarcasm. "Just because you're hungry twenty-four/seven and have massive pie craves doesn't mean Tess and I can bake pies for you whenever you want! Look at you! You're skinny as hell, girl! Whatever you eat, you just throw back up 'cause of your supposed '_condition_'!"

"It is not my fault my mom always forces me to eat healthy--that's why I even eat those tasteless cupcakes! And--"

"Tasteless?!" Reem exclaimed.

"They taste like cardboard," Ania replied in monotone, eyes narrowed.

"You know what?!--"

Just then I felt someone pull me towards the door. Thinking it was surely Rizzo, I immediately struggled.

"Calm down, would you?" the guy said in a soft British accent. Surprised, I turned around and saw the "wanna-be artist"--according to Tess. He didn't look like much the first time I saw him. Mainly because I only saw his back as he bobbed his head to screamo. So I took a closer look and saw a boy maybe five inches taller than me. He had snake bite piercings on his lower lip, jet black hair with a few strands of indigo, a few freckles across his nose, and a pronounced jaw. And his eyes...his eyes were turquoise with many flecks of gold around the iris. So beautiful...

_Hold up! Did I just think what I think I thought? Wait, what?!_

"Sorry, but I had to get out of there before some fight started up. We've been here only a day so far and Ania's gotten in three fights already. Plus, you were in my way and I thought, what the hell, you don't seem like the type who should get in trouble for something you had nothing to do with, so I just dragged you out. Again, I'm sorry if you didn't wanna be pulled out... Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." And I was. I could just stand there all day, looking into those eyes. "Wait, what do you mean, 'we've been here a day'?"

"Oh, our parents know the caterers who're gonna be working in the cafeteria, making our food and stuff, so they thought it would be killing two birds with a stone by sending Ania, Nikki and me with them," the guy explained.

"Ania and Nikki are your sisters?" I asked, wondering how many siblings were at this camp together.

"Nikki's younger my sister, yeah, we're a year apart. She's a freshman, I'm a sophomore. Ania's our polish cousin, also a freshman."

_Oh, so he's older. Then no way would he be interested in a girl like me. Childish, naive, immature-- Hold up, why am I even thinking this?!_

"So, yeah. I'm Devin O'Faolain," he said, extending his hand.

I shook it, awkwardly replying with my name an embarrassingly late second.

"Grimm, huh? You wouldn't happen to be related to Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, would you?"

"Huh? Uh... What--what would make you think that?" _How did he..._

"Your last name, maybe? Hey, relax, Daph, I was just kidding," Devin said with a grin.

"Daph?" I asked, relived about the "Grimm" thing yet curious about the nickname.

"It's a nickname. Wha'ssa matter, you don't like it? Want me to call you 'short-stop' instead?" he teased.

"Goodness, no! Daph's just fine, thank you very much." It was actually kind of nice to have someone outside the family give me a nickname._ Especially one from a cute sophomore..._

"Ha, didn't think so. Well, Daphne Grimm, I, Devin O'Faolain, am going to the Art Hall. Care to come with?" he asked, already walking backwards towards the main trail.

"Sure," I said, following after him, happy that I had something to do before camp officially started. "So what kind of last name is 'O'Faolain'?"

"Ah, O'Faolain is basically the old Scottish-Gaelic way of saying 'of wolf'. Faol is the old way of saying 'wolf' and is used in such phrases as 'Tha an fhaol mh**ò**r math' which means 'The big wolf is good' and 'Am bheil an fhaol mh**ò**r math?' which translates to 'Is the big wolf good?'" he explained, looking at me mysteriously with a small knowing smile.

Looking at him in both wonder and confusion, I said, "What?!"

"My first name however is from an Anglicized Irish surname derived from the Irish surnames _Ó Damháin--_from the given name _Damhán_ meaning 'fawn'," he finished off.

I gave him another look and he laughed.

"I know, I know; I sound like an old college professor going on and on about some Latin or whatever, but since people get curious from time to time, I try to make it worth their while. I'm Scottish, by the way. If you didn't figure that out already."

"Then what's with the accent?" I asked, then immediately regretted it, knowing it might sound rude. "Sorry."

"No, no, s'okay. As I said, people do get curious. Well, you see, my father, Madadh O'Faolain, spent his whole childhood life in Scotland. Then on a business trip to London, he met my mother and they fell in love. She, obviously, was British, and very close to her family so when they got married, they were forced to settle down in the big city. That's where Nikki and I grew up. But by the time we reached middle-school years, as you Americans say, Da convinced Mum to come to America for holiday. And when they came here, they were so in love with the country, they decided to live here, and go over-seas to see her family in the summer."

"Cool," I said, for loss of a better reply. On the other hand, I actually did think it cool to get out of the country--a thing I've never gotten the chance to do except for the time I went with Uncle Jake on our search to find Goldi. But that was way back when Mom and Dad were still asleep.

"Yeah, you'd think. Going to spend the summer in the United Kingdom, seeing the Big Ben, scouting all the supposedly 'famous' museums, seeing people going around saying 'Bloody' all the bloody time. Ha, see, it rubs off after a while," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"But..." He sighed. "It's just...not really what everybody says it's like. Mainly because I can't ever go anywhere there, since I'm stuck at my uncle's house all the time with only my cousin, Zak, for company. Ha, we used to sneak out sometimes, me and him, and leave Nikki to be in charge of our younger cousins. She'd freak, of course. Though she had no right to, since she'd be on long distance calls to her American friends. We used to go out to pubs like 'Spinner's End' and 'Robin's Hollow' or go to alley parties and hang around with bands no one knows. It was actually pretty fun, until we got caught one night..."

And so, I walked to the Art Hall, following a cute Scot named Devin who told interesting stories about his summers in England.

Who knows, I may even owe Sabrina 20 bucks when I get back home.

Maybe...

* * *

**A/N:**

Sorry if people don't like the language--cursing and stuff. So, I'm sorry, but this IS rated T. If you have any complaints, please keep the rating in mind.

As for the song, it just popped in my head and I didn't have time to think of another. So yeah. Sorry for those Miley-haters out there.

As for Devin, pleaspleasepleasepleaseplease tell me what you think! Please?! O.O

So yeah. **95 reviews are needed for the ninth chapter.**

Otherwise you guys have to wait for next summer for an update. ^^

Thanks to** mindreadingweirdo**, **12grimmfan21**, **Lara D**, **BrendaReads-A-lot**, **Pottergrl101**, and **brii **for reviewing. I'm serious when I say your support helps.

Luvvies,

Ly ^^


	10. A Walk in the Park

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Which is sad. So yeah. Read.**

Hold up, just sayin, I may have stolen some parts from another story. Well, not exactly. It's just that I was reading this fic by 'Oriana de la Rose' and I was inspired to write this chapter. It may be kinda very similar, just warning you. So it's not really considered plagiarism if...

**Just read already! If you have any questions, review or PM me!**

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**_10. A Walk in the Park_**

**_Face Down ~ Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_**

* * *

**Puck's point of view...**

Looking over at my love, I laughed and pressed my lips softly to her temple.

We had been walking around for an hour maybe--just around the city of New York.

Sabrina, you see, had been having the same recurring dreams weekly and it scared her to a point that she was terrified of sleeping--in regular routine, at least. So after talking over the phone, I suggested we go out for a walk around through the city that never sleeps. On our walk, we talked about things I never knew--like her fear of the unknown that developed soon after we were split apart by family but has now re-risen from all her nightmares of cursed necklaces, wolves, and fire.

Hearing her stomach growl lightly pulled me back to reality and guilt flowed through my veins. She needed food. She hadn't had anything to eat since yesterday afternoon since she was too busy at work. I couldn't imagine working as a waitress/busgirl without being allowed to eat anything from the restaurant at breaks. And I didn't want her starving, to see her each and every rib. No, she would have food, even if I had to waste the money I earned from Jake for moving around old furniture.

Holding her hand tighter in mine, lacing my fingers with hers, I led us through the crowd.

"Let's go get some breakfast," I suggested.

"Thank God, I'm starving."

We found a decent Burger King and went inside. As we walked through, I watched Brina take a deep breath, ecstasy scrawled over the features I knew so well. A small stab of guilt went through me at depriving her of food for this long. There wasn't a line, thankfully, so we stepped up to the cash register to order. I noticed that the young man looked at Brina for longer than necessary. I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to my side, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I would like..." Sabrina didn't notice him as she scanned the menu on the wall. I noticed that the man's eyes were practically glued to Sabrina and I realized he was checking her out. Glowering at him, my lips were set in a hard line and I found it difficult to control the rumbling anger inside me. I didn't like the way he looked at her, as if she was a piece of meat that he wanted to consume. I needed to shelter my love from men like that. All they wanted to do was use her for their own pleasures then leave her. And I didn't want Brina growing close to him at all; I didn't want her to forget about me.

I would _not _allow another man to drive a wedge between us. I needed her to keep myself sane. She was the only reason I lived, the only reason I still existed. Without her, I would have slit my own throat all those years ago in Baghdad. I needed her to stay with me and I wouldn't allow some idiot to seduce her and trick her into thinking that he loved her.

"You're quiet, Puck," she observed when we were finishing our meal. "Are you okay?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just got a lot on my mind." I glanced up to see that she had a bit of maple syrup smeared along her chin. Reaching up, I pulled her face to mine and wiped off the syrup then kissed her softly. "Are you ready to leave yet?" I asked, standing up.

"Yeah, I'm done."

As we walked out of Burger King, I shot a glare to the guy behind the counter. He didn't see me--he was busy punching buttons on the cash register.

It was a while before I realized we were heading into the shabbier neighborhood. I had never been in this part of New York City before so I had no idea about the street names and blocks, although I tried my best to remember them. Stopping at a café, we "borrowed" a newspaper off a table when a man got up to throw out his plate. There were adds for apartments for sale and that was how Sabrina and I began our search for a new house. We had already discussed the fact that if we were going to stay together, so we might as well buy an apartment for college days so as not to bother Henry and Veronica.

"How about this one?" she suggested, pointing to one that boasted 1200 square feet with large picture windows and a fireplace.

"Brina, we're not millionaires. Although," I said, grinning tolerantly at her. "I may be able to convince Mustardseed into doing us a little favor involving 'money'."

"Right," she said sarcastically with a smile. "You know he'd never do anything for you after you practically destroyed his new office with an accidental flame last week." With another smile, she went back to the adds and continued looking.

"What about your supposedly rich father?" I asked.

"Yeah, right. He'll pay for an apartment when Hitler comes back from the dead."

"Hey, stranger things have happened!" I pointed out.

"True, but still. You know Dad. He believes in earning the things life offers--with actual hard work involved."

"Well, maybe we can..."

After an hour of "discussing" and exploring apartments for sell, both on paper and off, we decided to wait a couple weeks or maybe even months for a better price to be offered.

After we stopped for roasted peanuts and called the house with my new iPhone to make sure no one would get worried about us, I got another idea.

"What would you say to Central Park?"

"Sure, fairy-boy," she said with a smile. "You do know how to get there, right?" she mocked.

"I thought you would know by now that I know everything, dog-face," I teased affectionately and pressed my lips to her forehead.

"Shut up," she replied, smiling.

After getting morning coffee from Starbucks, we started towards Central Park. It was a bit after dawn by now and the sky was streaked through with shades of pink, gold, and pale blue with the moon still fading away on the horizon.

As Sabrina and I took a short-cut the Starbucks clerk had suggested, we turned down an alley which stank heavily of trash and piss. A man snored under a shabby blanket, his mouth gaping open with drool dripping from his lips. He was unshaven and I could have sworn I saw a roach crawl through the scraggly hair of his beard.

Sabrina shrank against me. The beggar's stench was overpowering. I doubted he had experienced soap and water in three months. I resisted the impulse to cover my mouth and nose, but pulled Brina closer to me instead, drawing us away from the beggar.

"I don't like this, Puck," she muttered, anxiety obvious in her tone. She bent down and picked something off the filthy ground. I saw that it was a small crucifix attached to a sturdy silver chain. It was dirty and well-worn. I heard her pull in a ragged gasp.

"We'll be out of here soon, Brina," I said, pulling her forward and taking her shaking hands which held the crucifix.

"I sure as hell hope so," a male voice said behind us.

I whirled around and saw two silhouettes standing ten feet from us, the light of the morning sun behind them, casting them in shadow. The left figure was taller than the right and bulkier. The one on the right was decidedly female with long golden hair that blew in the slight breeze.

"Your girlfriend is holding something that belongs to us," the man said, his voice solid as iron. "Drop it and leave, and we won't do anything to you."

"She found it, it's hers," I said firmly. Honestly, I didn't know why I was so set on having her keep it since it was obviously creeping her out from all her dreams.

"Puck, it's okay," Sabrina whispered to me. "I don't want it. Please let's just leave, okay?"

"That's right, listen to the bitch and leave," the woman said, her voice soft yet demanding. "Just give me back the necklace."

"Shut up, Fiona," the man hissed.

Hot anger flared through me, swiftly followed by hate. My eyes quickly scanned the alley for any way out or someone to call for help but there was nothing except for the beggar who still dozed under the holey blanket. The stench wafted around me, making it hard for me to think.

"Just give us the necklace and leave," the man said reasonably, authority evident in his tone.

I wondered briefly why something as old as this crucifix could be so important to them. But that woman--Fiona--had called Sabrina a bitch. And she was going to pay for it.

"No," I spat. "It's Sabrina's now. If you two are stupid enough to drop it, then you don't deserve it. Especially that slut," I replied, looking at the woman. It was difficult to see their faces with the blazing, rising sun behind them. Only a halo of gold surrounded their hair.

"Why you bastard!" Fiona hissed, launching herself towards me. It was then that I noticed the silver blade that glinted in the faint light. "Give it to me, it's mine!" she snarled. But the man grabbed her by the arm and tossed her to the side like a rag-doll, her body crashing brutally into the brick wall.

"Please forgive Fiona. She's a little distressed that you refuse to give her what is rightfully hers," the man said reasonably, taking a sure step towards us. "You see, the necklace was her mother's before she died and it's the only thing the poor girl has left of her family. Also, I'm afraid that you're standing in my territory. I own nearly the whole east side and I don't condone troublemakers unless they are my men. So, you see, we have a problem."

"Puck, please, let's leave!" Sabrina pleaded. "It's not worth it. This is stupid!" Before I could say anything in response, she threw the necklace at the man, managing to hit his boot.

He laughed, the sound resembling a lion's purr. "A feisty thing, she is," he commented. "I bet she'd be enjoyable to break. I always love it when they scream."

Horror, heavy as lead, settled in my stomach and I realized my stupidity. If I had only handed over the stupid necklace, we could be gone from here. But now, the man had stepped close enough to us that I could see his features. He had dark hair and even blacker eyes, his face handsome enough but twisted with cruelty. And his eyes roamed curiously over Sabrina, as if she was a doll he would enjoy playing with. If we ran, would we make it? What if he outran us? I was fairly certain I could take him, but I was concerned about Sabrina. I could only pray she wouldn't involve herself in the fight. If he hurt her, I knew my rage would boil over.

"Get the hell away from us," I spat, stepping back, allowing him the satisfaction of believing I was going to run. "Now!"

He chuckled. "I don't think so, Mr. Protective. I've always had a thing for blondies and Fiona here isn't as nice as she used to be." His lips curled and I watched him begin to reach into his pocket.

My mind no longer controlled me. The rage, the fury all welled up inside me. I hated this man. He didn't deserve to live. Unwanted images rose to my eyes of Brina, sobbing and filthy, as he roughly took her, defiling her, taking her innocence. Without thinking, I kicked his legs out from under him and lunged at his prone form. Shock covered his face as I punched him square in the nose. Immediately, the blood flowed from the broken cartilage. A howl of rage tore from his throat and I stabbed my finger into his left eye, grimacing at the thick wetness that immediately coated it, and hooked, pulling.

He grabbed me by the shirt and threw me off, stumbling up. From the corner of my eye, I saw Brina scream, her eyes wide with fear. Glancing back at the man before me, I saw why. His left eye was no longer in his socket; instead it dangled out by the optic nerve, horrific and terrifying.

"Davy!" Fiona screamed, crawling towards the man. He turned and swiftly kicked her in the side before turning back to me.

With a snarl of rage, he ran at me, raising his hand and I saw that he held a pocket knife. Quickly, I twisted out of his reach and grabbed the knife from his hand, managing to slice a deep wound down his upper arm, opening the main vein there. The blood was thick and dark as it coursed down his limb. It was as if my mind had turned off. I didn't think anything--I simply acted. I knew what I had to do to get Sabrina out of here, out of this hell. Grabbing "Davy's" hair, I yanked his head back and put the open pocketknife to his throat.

"I will cut your throat," I warned, my voice deadly. "I swear to God, I will if you so much as come near us again. Don't think I'm bluffing either. I've killed many men before, don't think I'd even hesitate to kill you."

I didn't care if my words were harsh or judgmental in any way. He deserves to be punished--men like him have a spot in hell reserved just for them.

Davy gasped for air and I didn't want to imagine the pain he was in. Killing him now wouldn't help Sabrina or me. It would only endanger us more. If I killed this man, it would be lives on my conscious, another that I had ended at the point of a knife. Although he obviously deserved it, it would stain my clothes with blood and I didn't have time to change. And I didn't want to think about how Brina would look at me after I slit his throat--with fear, with horror. No, I couldn't bear it if she saw me as a monster. I would sooner eat cyanide than have her cower from me.

Throwing Davy onto the ground, I closed the pocketknife and pushed it deep into my jeans pocket. He sobbed once and curled into a ball, his fingers going to his hanging eye. I saw the image I'd had earlier of him violating Brina, and I felt no regret at what I had done, what I was doing.

"Come on, Brina," I said quickly, walking towards her and taking her hand in mine. My clothing was bloodless except for a faint staining at the hem of my jacket. But that would be simple to hide and I wouldn't have to worry about shocked stares from bystanders. As soon as we got out of the alley, we broke into a run. When I heard Sabrina gasping beside me, I slowed.

It was then that I saw the house. Through all our twists and turns, we somehow luckily wound up at the Grimm Mansion--christened as so by Daphne when they first moved here.

It was seemingly abandoned, quiet of Ryan's cries and Andy's tantrums, and so provided good shelter for us from Davy and Fiona. "Follow me," I said, letting go of her hand and entering the house after using the spare key Monica gave me.

"Puck," she began, struggling to get her breathing under control. "Are you okay? Back there... Your cheek looks pretty bad."

"What?"

"You have a cut on your cheek," she said softly, stepping closer to me. We were inside now, the old door shut behind us so that we were enveloped in faint, morning light. The set of stairs starting at the living room led up to the second floor, out of sight. I felt kind hands touch my chin and I turned back to her. "It's bleeding pretty badly," she said, reaching back and pulling the Burger King napkins out of her pockets, using them to dab at my cheek.

"It's fine, Brina. I'm fine." I felt very tired suddenly, as if I could sleep for twenty years and not wake. "I'm just tired."

"Well, hold this on it, okay? Apply pressure so the bleeding stops."

"When'd you become an expert nurse?" I asked sarcastically. But with a roll of her eyes, I said, "Whatever you say."

Gazing around the room, she frowned. "Come on, let's go upstairs. I have a tv in my room; you can sit and watch while I try to reach Daphne at camp."

"Finally, she sees reason," I teased, knowing full well that she knew I was joking.

"Yeah, yeah, you finally get to crash in my well-supplied, furnished room," she joked back with another eye-roll.

Taking her hand in mine, I pulled her towards me and brushed my lips to hers before leading the way up the stairs. As we ascended, I was grateful that the stairs creaked--they reminded me that everything still had its place. Old wood creaked, dust accumulated, the sun rose in the morning. It all seemed so normal after the confrontation of today.

"Thank God," she said, rushing towards her bed. "I'm _so_ tired."

She pounced happily onto the mattress and I smiled, moving to sit on the aqua colored couch opposite her. Lifting her head up from her arms, Brina smiled at me then jumped to my side.

"I love you," she said wistfully as she laid down, her head on the arm of the couch, and my arm automatically bent around her.

"I love me, too," I teased before ducking as Brina tried to punch my face. "You know I love you, too," I corrected, smiling at her.

Pulling the napkin from my face, I saw that it was wet with blood. But it didn't seem to be bleeding anymore so that was good. "I'm sorry that I frightened you today. I should have just given them the necklace. But then, he wanted to do those things to you and..." My voice trailed off, harsh with ice.

"It's alright, Puck," she said, placing her hand over my mouth to stop me from speaking then gave me a light peck on the cheek. Getting up, she handed me the remote to her tv and headed to her cell phone to call Marshmellow.

But for the first time in my life, I couldn't concentrate on the pictures in the "magic box". Things were circling inside my head. Thoughts of Davy and Fiona, of worst case senarios of this morning... and of Hawaii...

"You did what you had to," I heard Sabrina say as a GEICO commercial came on. "I know that." She smiled then, before turning to punch in Daph's number, warming my cold heart and keeping my fury at bay for the moment.

_"15 minutes could save you 15 or more percent on car insurance..."_

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**A/N: **

Sorry for the long wait (blame school, not me) and the sudden change from Daphne to Puckabrina but I can't write a mystery for too long; I like danger with a dash of fluffiness. ^^

Anyhoo, thanx to all reviewers, **Lara D**, **Beachgirlygirl**, **mrf18**, **12grimmfan21**, **Pottergrl101**, **mary alice brandon**, **Alice Alee **, **brii**, and** Kloe****. **Your reviews are honestly one of the main reasons I even write as much as I do instead of studying for those stupid weekly biology tests.

Oh and thanks for the mention from **12grimmfan21** in **mrf18**'s fanfic "Good and Bad stories." ^^

So yeah, you know the drill. I would like the reviews to reach to at least **100** before I update. Or else, I just don't see why I should update for no one to read.

Luvvies,

~Ly ^^


	11. Myths on a Sunny Afternoon

**Disclaimer: Everything included in the actually published Sisters Grimm series belongs to Michael Buckley.**

**A/N: **As for the Puckabrina fluff you guys were expecting, well I'm extrememly sorry but nothing clicked so I was subjugated to camp life instead.

I sincerely am sorry so I wont make you read so much. I really hope these Daphne chappies'll be short. If not, oh well. Again, reviews are welcomed. Even if you didn't like it.

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**_11. Myths on a Sunday Afternoon  
_**

**_Suspension ~ Mae_**

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_Previously..._

**Daphne's point of view...**

"So, yeah. I'm Devin O'Faolain," he said, extending his hand.

I shook it, awkwardly replying with my name an embarrassingly late second...

...And so, I walked to the Art Hall, following a cute Scot named Devin who told interesting stories about his summers in England.

Who knows, I may even owe Sabrina 20 bucks when I get back home.

Maybe...

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**Devin's point of view...**

The first time I laid eyes on Daphne at camp, I thought she was just another shy girl with a rebellion.

But the first time I ever saw her? Well, that's another story entirely.

...

_Flashback to Summer of 1990's or early 2000's_

_Central Park, New York_

It was a sunny summer afternoon and everyone was playing around, waiting for their parents to come pick them up from the park. Since my mum had taken Nikki off to get some ice-cream and Da was off somewhere with his friends and business corporation, I was left to wander about near the playground.

I had barely many friends back then, since we were only in America for Da's business trip, so I was subjugated to swing by meself. I was thinking about what animal I would pick to be for a day when I saw her.

She was holding a gray, worn-out teddy bear in her scrawny arms and looking around, calling some girl's name while laughing. Covering her from the soft summer breeze was a pink t-shirt and shorts with a white pair of sandals; her brown hair was made into two pig-tails, hanging slightly over her shoulders. She looked...well, as my mum would say, adorable, to say the least.

Especially her eyes. Those big moon eyes that looked like saucers, or diamonds in the sky.

Now, of course I didn't think that of her back then, a mere boy of 5. No, I was thinking: _Cute. Innocent. Naive. Wait till you get to know how the real world is. Not just ponies and rainbows, like most girls think. You'll see things that'll shatter your life. Then you can laugh._

"Sabrina!" I heard the girl yell. "Brina, I know you're out there! What do you think, Tommy Bear, is she under that tree or behind the trash can?" _Tommy Bear?!_

As the little girl with freakles dotting her nose made her way around the play area of Central Park, I heard a giggle come from a few yards away and a flash of gold run behind a bush. I always had good vision and hearing so I wasn't as surprised as to why the brunnette was taking so long when her friend was so obviously noticable via giggle and hair.

After a while, I got tired of watching and decided to see what I could do. Since there was barely anything better going on.

"Hey, you!" I called.

"Huh?" she said, turning around. Bloody hell, that look could melt the heart of a madman.

"Who are you looking for?" I asked, smiling to meself.

"Uh, well, me and my sister are playing hide and seek..." _So the girl in the bushes, Sabrina--her sister...?_

"You know it's not safe to wander around in a big place like this. Especially if you're young and alone, like you are now. How do you know you wont get kidnapped?" I took the chance to flip my then-red hair out of my face so my full gaze could penetrate her. People were always mesmerized by my eyes. _Let's see if she's the same._

"Um, well-- I, uh-- wha.." I had to admit, it was fun watching the little angel squirm for words.

"Tell you what, we kids gotta stick together in this park. Who knows how many evil _hobos_--as you Americans say--live around here, waiting for little girls and boys to walk past a tree to tie them up and cook 'em for dinner--"

"Whaaat? Hobos don't eat people, silly," the girl said, giggling and holding her teddy bear close.

"Yeah, they do," I pointed out, then leaned closer as if about to tell her a secret. "The old ones, see, they're too used to the old ways. They kidnap the little kids and take 'em to the black market to sell them for traders. But if you're caught by the younger ones, the ones that like the kids and babies better than teenagers, well..." --I stepped closer an lowered my voice to a whisper-- "...they take you underground to the sewers and tunnels--where the water from baths goes through?"

She nodded, eyes wide open. I continued.

"Well, see, they tie you up with thick ropes made of snake skin and make you lie on a bunch of wood. And they pour this purple sauce all over--made from an octopus--then they light a fire under you so your skin gets all nice and crunchy. And when you're all good and brown, with all your hair burned off--"

"Hair?!" she cried, clutching her two pig-tails for dear life and dropping her bear in the process. Tommy Bear lay on the ground for the next couple minutes, forgotten, eyes staring into oblivion.

"Yes, kid, they burn you hair right off. They have to; same reason people shave a kiwi before they cut it up and eat it."

"You mean...?" She started whimpering. Oh goodness, she was one innocent little girl.

"Mhmm, they cut off all your hair--or pig-tails--and burn off the parts that can't be cut. And when that's over, they take your eyeballs right out of their sockets with dirty, plastic sporks they garter from the janitors in the school cafeterias--"

"Old man Jim is one of them?!" she said in a high pitched tone. _Oh goodness this is just too fun._

"Uh, yeah, him too." Improvisation is key.

"I can't believe this! You're making this up to scare me!" the little angel accused.

"Are you serious? Me, making this up? How dare you! I try to do one nice thing for you by warning you of hoboes and you accuse me of lying?!" I said, acting hurt in a mocking tone.

"Oookaay, then, I'm sorry...?" she asked, as if unsure what was right and what not.

"Much better; I accept your apology. But yeah, those new hoboes--they plan on cooking kids and chopping them up into limbs and livers to eat."

"You better not be joking around and teasing me! Or I'll tell Sabrina and she'll make you pay!" Oh, it was bloody hilarious how the little thing even had the nerve to threaten me like this.

"So you don't believe me? See for yourself then. And when you wind up as only bones scattered everywhere in the sewers, you're gonna wish you paid heed," I warned.

"Paid heed? What's that mean?" the angel asked, her nose crinkled as if she smelled something foul.

"It means, you're gonna be wishing you listened to me. Ha, Da told me you Americans talk funny." I rolled my eyes.

"What do you mean, talk funny? You're the one that's talking funny!" she said, stepping back.

"Oh, really? Well, I'll just go then. And leave you to find your sister." I started backing away and turning towards the path.

"Oh, yeah--Sabrina!" the little girl said, heading towards the bushes, as if just remembering the fact that she was still missing her sister.

And such was my first Sunday afternoon in New York--spent terrifying a little American girl into thinking hoboes in parks ate little kiddies up like chicken.

Who knew if we would ever meet again. A Scottish boy and an Ameican girl with a teddy bear and pig-tails. Set with destinies on two separate sides of the world.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

Or was it fortunate?

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**A/N:**

Aha, poor Daphne.

Sorry for the wait and the shortness.

Please review and I'll update.

**110 or else...**

PS: thanks for all those who reviewed for last chappie. Muchas gracias. Very appreciated.

Luvvies,

Ly ^^**  
**


	12. Where's Jane?

**Disclaimer: I own nada. **

**Again, sorry but I gotta finish with Daphne before I give you guys more lovey-dovey Puckabrina. Yes, I wrote a whole Valentine's Day chapter(a month late but whatever)--so please be patient and it'll most likely be out soon after the whole epidema with camp is over and done with.**

****

**_12. Where's Jane?_**

**_Be Still and Breath ~ Ivoryline_**

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**Daphne's point of view...**

I sat in our cabin's bedroom on my new cabin bed--newly made this morning--and tried to process through my head what's happened these past couple days.

Camp's been fun and Devin's made sure to help me see that. He seems very friendly--which is kinda strange in a way. I mean, I'm not used to guys like him being friends with girls like me. If Sabrina were here she'd probably be all over him and yet hate his guts at the same time. Well, if she wasn't with Puck, that is.

You see, my sister would have crushes on guys then call them players if they were the kind of guys Devin is. Gothic/Emo skater-boy, bad-boy mix--with blue-green eyes. Brina adored blue-green eyes. Ha, I think you may know why. Shall I spell it out? P-U-C-K--not "puke" as my dear dad seems to think.

So yeah. If Sabrina were here she's be warning me 24/7 not to get mixed up with a guy like him. Then Dad would try to tell me that guys like him only want one thing from girls... As for Mom--well she'd probably tell me to listen to my heart.

So...who shall I listen to for now? Oh, dear mother of mine, you have won round one.

~*~*~

"Hey Daph!" I heard a pair of feet running up the stairs and a knock on the bedroom door before a head popped in. "You busy?"

I willed him to keep going with a shake of my head.

"Me and the guys're going down by the lake. You want in?"

"Um..." Well, why not? I thought. What difference does it make? But...lake equals swimming; bathing suits. The only one Mom packed for me was the old purple one-piece with silver frils. "Sure," I replied, having to give in to his puppy-dog face. Damn, he could probably top my look if he had enough practice. Those eyes...

"Great! Well, we're all meeting down at the bonfire place in 5 minutes, if you want to pack some stuff. See ya," he said before departing with a wink.

Ugh, purple and frilly. Could my day get any worse? First I wake up with a bad case of knotted hair since I forgot to unbraid before bed, then I spill grape juice on a white t, and now this.

Although...

I walked towads the drawers I share with Reem and fished out a dark blue two-piece I borrowed from Brina last summer and never gave back. I didn't think she'd mind me wearing it just this once. Well, more like twice or more--but still.

~*~*~

"Yo Grimm, the ball!"

I looked away from my book--"Right Behind You" by Gail Giles; one of the books on our reading list in Honors English I--and turned toward the guys playing volley in the lake. Edwin and Teddy--two guys from another cabin--heard we were here and came to play, since they knew Josh and Hoa from school.

Looking back to my left, I saw a the beach ball they were throwing aroud in the water and threw it at Rizzo's head.

"Great hit!" shouted Reem, cracking up at Rizzo rubbing his supposedly hurt head while I chuckled and waved a thanks.

"Come play!" Devin called, hair sticking to his face from getting plashed by the ball.

"Nah, you guys keep playing."

"Wha'ssa matter, you chicken?" he asked, mock in shock.

"Noooooooo," I stalled, looking around.

"Yes, you are. Just admit it--you're scared to get beaten in water-volley," the Scottish boy insisted.

"Nu-uh! Since you're not going to leave this alone, you know what? Fine, I'll play," I said, putting in my bookmark and jumping in the water.

And so, for the next half hour or so, I splashed and scored with them while Jane and Josh played chess on the bench.

After a while, I heard Josh shouting. As his calls grew closer and closer, I realized that he's calling for Jane.

"What, did the redhead get lost again or something?" asked Teddy.

"I don't know," Josh started as he hyperventilated, freaking out. "I went to the port-a-potty for a minute when she was reading some book. When I come back, she's gone! Where do you think she went?"

"Josh," Tess begins.

"Call the head counselor-- "

"_Josh,_" she emphasized.

"Send out a search party--"

"Josh!"

"Call nine-one-one. Somebody do someth--"

"JOSH!"

"Wow, talk about losing your cool," I heard Rizzo mumble.

"What?" Josh finally asked, a little distracted.

"Calm down," Tess said. I had to admit, in times like this, I admired Tess for being the sole person I know who could get Josh to listen to reason. And that's when he's already freaking out about some stressing thing or another.

So in the end, after Tess got Josh to breath, Edwin ran over to the office to tell them what happened and everyone was advised to help search for the missing girl in the lime green sunglasses.

* * *

**A/N: **Any thoughts? Questions? Concerns?

Cleek da bou-on dawn bee-lo, as the stupid Americans making fun of Jamaicans say. No offense, of course. To either race.

Anyways, thanks to much to **mindreadingweido**, **anonymous**, **Lara D**, **wickedcoolcat**, **12grimmfan11**, and **gothicgal000**. You guys are one of the only main reasons I'm still writing.

And I'm being serious.

BTW, if there's still any confusion anywhere:

**The Grimm family didn't really die. **

**Chapter 6 was all Sabrina's dream, except for Puck's flashbacks at the end.**

So yeah. Reviews, anyone?

~Ly


	13. It's Real

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

_**13. It's Real**_

_**I'm Yours ~ The Script**_

* * *

**Sabrina's point of view...**

_Everytime he holds me  
Everytime we kiss  
I know its real_

_I think of him now  
So perfect and right  
And I know its real_

_And when all prevails  
We'll still have each other  
Cuz its better than perfect  
It's real_

_The warmth in his hands  
The brush of his lips  
The look in his eyes  
It's real_

_Our love grows deep  
With each passing day  
A sorrow overturned  
Real_

_A special word for him and me  
A special bond they all can see  
It's love _

_It holds us fast  
It's meant to last  
It's real_

I was never the sappy-love poem-writing kind of person. It was just thoughts I was writing down. So if you wanna start calling me names like "lovey-dovey poet", think again. It's all Mom's fault anyways--she got me the diary to write my "inner-most thoughts" as she put it.

Well, technically, if I'm to go blaming people, it's Puck's fault for giving me that stupid CD. I know, who uses CD's nowadays? But aparently, 4000-year old fairy-boys do.

Title? _Top Ten Songs For Her Ugliness_. Can you say "rude"? But still, the actual songs made up for it. When I first popped the CD in an old CD player Uncle Jake got me, I nearly cried. Honest to goodness. That's how overwhelmed I was. 'Cause it's true: when you cry, it's because of overwhelmth not sadness. Or happiness. Strictily overwhelmth.

Anyways, back to the story.

So I put in the CD, press the play button, and instantly, the room is enveloped by Puck's voice.

"Listen, Brina. As in, really listen--dont throw the CD and the player out the window in case it's set to explode with goop at any moment 'cause that prank was so last week."

Hearing this, I shot murderous glares at the CD player, remembering the day clearly. That day, I had tried to get the radio part of the CD player to work and got sprayed with disgusting mixtures of green, lime, and purple goop. Took two days' washing to get that stuff off my skin and out of my hair.

"As you know," he continued, "I'm not that great at talking to people about feelings and stuff. I mean, I try, since a king has to at least try, but still. Anyways, I'm learning that I can express myself through music--since I'm taking these guitar and singing lessons at school--which you already know about. Remember when your dad recommended them to get me to focus on something other than you? Well, haha, it worked. A bit... I mean, don't worry, you'll always have my heart," he rushed; I smirked. "But I figured he was right. I had to concentrate on something other than us for a minute or two of my life. And guess what substitute I came up with? Well, wadya know? Us..."

He chuckled as I smiled to myself.

"As I was saying, I can express myself through music now. I'm learning how to play a lot of songs, and lately every song's lyrics I learn seem to get me thinkin of you. So here are a few I picked out. It's me on guitar and on base. So yeah, this is what I call 'Songs for Her Ugliness' or was it 'Top Ten Songs'? Ugh, just listen, dogface."

I couldnt help noticing his insults were done more in affection and seemed effortless. But who's complaining?

The first song started up.

"You were always hard to hold," he stated up. And I couldnt believe it, he was right.

"So letting go aint easy  
I'm hanging on but growing cold  
While my mind is leaving.

"Talk, talk is cheap  
Give me a word you can keep..."

I stood there and let his surprisingly deep voice wash over me; he was the hitting cords now, gaining momentum.

"Cause you're halfway gone and I'm on way  
And I'm feelin, feelin, feelin this way  
Cause I'm halfway in but dont take too long  
Cause I'm halfway gone, I'm halfway gone..."

Afterwards followed _The Everglow _by Mae, _If It Means a Lot to You _by A Day To Remember, _Dear Bobbie_ by Yellowcard, _I Must Be Dreaming _by The Maine, and _Life Without You_ by Chris Daughtry. But the best was saved for last. Oh, you wanna know what song it was?

Sorry, can't tell you.

Oh, fine. Just read on...

I waited for Daughtry's voice to fade, expecting another song. But instead, Puck's voice came back on again.

"So what'd ya think? Best guitarist in the world? But wait, the best part's not over yet."

_What in the world does that fairy boy have planned this time?_

"Look out your window..." And so, I do--girl of curious nature that I am.

And trust me when I say that I did not expect it at all. I mean, really. What I saw was the farthest thing from my mind—literally.

Parting the white frilly window curtains Mom insisted I have for the winter, I opened the window out to see...

Puck.

And vines. Leaves and branches. In winter--in New York City?

_What the hell?_

The vines wrapped all around the balcony that leads to the apartment building fire escape, with Puck right in the middle--right outside my window. With a guitar. Carefully, I checked all around the area in case of missing anything he might have pulled at the last minute. Satisfied from lack of anything odd, I turned to look in his eyes--his deep blue-green eyes that make me feel as if I'm drowning in their depth and yet as if I'm engulfed in sea air, flying through the clouds, all at the same time.

"I'm speaking from the heart here, Brina. Everything I say is the truth, in some form or way," he says.

Then the angel strikes a cord, parts his lips, and starts singing.

"You've touched these tired eyes of mine  
And mapped my face out line by line  
And some how growing old feels fine…"

So he doesn't mind it? Having to grow old for me, with me? Although his voice does sound pretty good. Pretty good? Who am I kidding, he's brilliant! Must have gotten voice lessons too...

"I listen close for I'm not smart," he said, a bit softer than the previous stanza. I snorted.

"You wrap your thoughts and works of art  
And there hanging on the walls of my heart.

I may not have the softest touch  
I may not say the words as such  
And though I may not look like much  
I'm yours—"

"You sure when you said everything's the truth?" I asked, wondering about the 'I may not look like much' part. I stopped abruptly as he shushed me and continued with an evil eye, mouthing 'dont ruin this' between stanzas.

"And though my edges may be rough  
I never feel I'm quite enough  
And it may not seem like very much  
But I'm yours.

You healed these scars over time  
And braced my soul, you loved my mind  
You're the only angel in my life--"

Aw... I mean, that's what Daphne would say. But then again...his angel? Does he really mean that?

"The day the news came, my best friend died  
My knees went weak, and you saw me cry  
Say I'm still the soldier in your eyes--"

Always. To protect me through everything. Even though I act like a bitch at times, trying to be independant and all.

"I may not have the softest touch  
I may not say the words as such  
And though I may not look like much  
I'm yours.

And though my edges may be rough  
I never feel I'm quite enough  
And it may not seem like very much  
But I'm yours.

I may not have the softest touch  
I may not say the words as such  
And though I don't fit in that much  
But I'm yours..."

"Always," I whispered softly, but just loud enough for him to hear. And he must have, for the next thing I knew--as I closed my eyes to apreciate the pure bliss--I felt a pair of soft, warm lips against mine. Soft at first. Then built up, moving against mine as we slowly kissed in synchronization--two souls combined as one.

And guess what...?

It was better than perfect.

It was real.

* * *

**A/N: ****Reviews, anyone?**

**~Ly**


	14. The Necklace

**Disclamer: I'm too poor to afford anything--you guys should know this. In safer terms, I Do Not Own the Sisters Grimm.**

* * *

**_14. The Necklace_**

**_Arise ~ Flyleaf_**

* * *

**Daphne's point of view...**

**PREVIOUSLY: **So in the end, after Tess got Josh to breath, Edwin ran over to the office to tell them what happened and everyone was advised to help search for the missing girl in the lime green sunglasses.

~*~*~

As I made my way through more trees, calling Jane's name in echoes of everyone else's cries, I realized it's gotten darker, since we've surely been searching for a while now.

Remembering the many FBI shows I've watched with Aunt Goldi--woman sure likes her thrills, cheering on the crime-fighting heroes--I knew a missing person had to be absent for at least 24 whole hours before officially declared missing.

I think.

"Janey! Come out; come out, wherever you are!" I heard Edwin calling. From past experiences I've had with him this week, I knew he was only trying to make light of the situation. If you're wondering what I mean, I'm talking about the time he and Teddy started a food fight in the main cafeteria. As for me, if you're wondering how I got involved with this, well, I kinda had a little too much fun splattering the mean old janitor with a Sloppy Joe.

So in the end, me and two stooges were stuck cleaning the slop off the cafeteria floor with the janitor and threatened with a week of confinement in the lone cabin in the woods, used for "juvenile delinquents". And guess what? Idiot Edwin goes on and on, joking about how we'd hunt for food since we wont be able to eat at the cafeteria like everyone else. Though don't worry, we got off with a warning after I apologized and nearly beat up both boys to follow my example.

Mom would be proud. At least, dear sissy was when I called home a few days ago. Which reminds me, she sounded kind of distant and worried that day. Worse than usual.

"JAAAANE!!!" That must have been Josh--no one else in the whole camp could bellow so deep with the biggest lungs ever, tuba player that he is...

After hours of tripping and nearly loosing my flip flops, getting scratches everywhere imaginable with shorts and a t-shirt on, something shiny caught my eye--something on a small bush up ahead. At first I thought the leaves had magically evolved into sparkling new silver--once you're a Grimm you suspect even the most impossible or even wildest and silliest of ideas.

But after closely inspecting the bush, I nearly jump back.

It brought back too many dark memories.

_No. It couldn't be._

_But..._

Carefully, I picked up the curious little item with a wayward leaf and stared at it silently.

It was a necklace.

A little gray chain with a small, silver spider-web hanging from the end as a pendant. The last and only time I ever saw a necklace like that was around that demented fairy--Moth's--neck. The evil girl who poisoned Sabrina in a twisted plot to take over Faerie.

Though I had to admit, the wacco had good fashion sense; her dress, I mean--not her barefootedness. Definitely not her barefootedness.

Although...didn't Uncle Jake tell us that Queen Titania transferred Moth to the Faerie prison overseas in the Fae Republic? The Fae Republic, by the way, is what's known to regular humans as Verona, the setting of Romeo and Juliet's tragic tale--or so I heard.

But then, why would her necklace be here?

Careful not to touch the necklace in case it was cursed, I placed the broken thing in my pocket and headed back to our cabin--nearly forgetting about the current predicament. Though don't blame me for having Harry Potter superstitious, blame Uncle Jake who thought I must be used to all forms of magic and got me the complete works of J. K. Rowling.

~*~*~

After searching around in the slowly darkening forest--the painted sky full of magical autumn colors, celebrating the sunset; the end of a day--I heard Melanie passing around, telling kids to head back to the cabins and get a good night's rest while she and some other adults would keep searching.

Maybe something would turn up, she said.

Good or bad, no one specified.

* * *

**A/N: So whady'all think?**

**Reviews are highly appreciated and please give me at least one before the next update. **

**Also, I'm thinking of putting this story on hiatus since interest is obviously fading away. On your part and mine.**

**As for other news, I think some of you may know that yesterday (April 2nd) was the birthday of famous fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen. ****So yeah, Happy Belated 205th Birthday, Oh Ghost of Great Andersen! ^^ **

**Also, it was recently brought to my attention that yesterday was also ilovemuffins's birthday as well. So yeah. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!! xD That also includes anyone else I left out.**

**~Ly**


	15. Betrayal

**Disclaimer: He who is Michael Buckley is the sole owner of any characters mentioned here that are also mentioned in The Sisters Grimm. Also, the idea of the Liberry belongs to the corporation of the television show "Cory in the House" from Disney Channel.**

* * *

_**15. Betrayal**_

_**Forgiven ~ Relient K**_

* * *

**Daphne's point of view...**

**PREVIOUSLY: **After searching around in the slowly darkening forest—the painted sky full of magical autumn colors, celebrating the sunset; the end of a day—I heard Melanie passing around, telling kids to head back to the cabins and get a good night's rest while she and some other adults would keep searching.

Maybe something would turn up, she said.

Good or bad, no one specified.

~*~*~

I sat on a log, my face flushing from the heat, staring into the fire.

We had all been scheduled to come here as a gathering—to socialize, play games, and enjoy ourselves. But most of our group couldn't because we all had the mystery of Jane's disappearance hanging over our heads.

Where did she go?

Was she okay?

Was there anything we could do?

I looked to my right, at the tennis courts, where Reem, Tess, Teddy, and Edwin were playing against Ania, Kellie, and two guys with the same dark tan and buzz haircuts. Not surprisingly, the guys were only wearing basketball shorts and sneaks since it was starting to get pretty warm that spring. Though, I marveled at how they all could find time to play games while one of their fellow campers was missing. Sure, Jane was quiet and not many people knew her all that well; but she was still one of us—even though we were all from different schools, different backgrounds and cultures, and different places.

"Hey, Daph; mind if I sit here?"

Looking up from my internal ramblings, I saw Devin standing right above me, his hair slightly billowing with the faint evening breeze. He was holding a cup of some funky-smelling stuff. Probably some of the punch someone secretly spiked.

"Uh, no, not at all." _Way to go, Daphne. Not at all? Could I have said anything stupider?_

"Thanks. So, how've you been holding up? I noticed you and Jane were sorta friends," he commented, taking a sip of the punch.

"Uh, kinda; I guess. I mean, she recommended a few good books to me and I filled in for her at the Liberry Volunteering thing when she was sick a couple days ago. Sure, Nikki kinda made fun of me for it, but hey, she's a b— Oops, sorry, I didn't realize she was your sister. I mean, I did; but I just…"

"No, no, Daph; it's fine." He chuckled. "She is a bit on the mean side at times."

"At times?" I asked, incredulously. He laughed. "Well, yeah, I helped Jane out a bit here and there, and vice versa, but that was about it…before she disappeared…"

"But other than that?" he asked, seemingly curious; his spiked drink seemed to have hardly an effect on him.

"Nothing, I guess. I mean, we're barely even companions, let alone acquaintances," I replied, a bit distant since I was more concentrated on whether his drinking was a habit or just a one-time thing.

"But of course, other people wouldn't know," I heard him mutter as he looked into the fire right in front of us.

"Excuse me?" I asked, curious as always.

"Ah, nothing, nothing," he said, turning to face me. Then took a complete roundabout twist I never saw coming. "Daphne, I have to ask you a serious question." I nodded, willing him on. "Do you believe in magic?" he asked.

I laughed a bit nervously, but I didn't think he could tell the difference. "Of course not," I muttered, trying to keep from wavering but failing to hold his gaze long enough for truth to stand falsly.

After a while of searching my eyes for something of which I wasn't quite sure about, he broke eye-contact and turned back to the fire again, chuckling a little too happily. Or was it just paranoia?

_Should I tell him?_ I thought.

_Is he a person I could trust?_

_I mean, sure he is, but I can I trust him with the truth and be sure that he wouldn't laugh at me?_

_Or is he too drunk to tell the difference?_

"Of course, you're right. I was just wondering. That is to say, some people substitute unknown causes for magic and such. But there are the rare few that actually believe in its might, its power. They claim that fairy tales truly are real—that the things we see and jump to label as miracles and such are actual workings of magic arts…" he trailed off, his eyes to the stars and the heavens.

Listening to him, I thought he sounded like a scholar, talking about knowledge well known. Heck, he kinda reminded me of Uncle Jake. "Although," he said, turning back to face me with a weirdly placed, too-jolly smile on his face, "Who ever really believes such stories nowadays, right, Daph?"

I laughed, nervously again. "Yeah," I agreed half-heartedly.

_If only he knew the truth._

_But can I trust him?_

"Hey, Grimm, lighten up; it's not the end of the world," he said, his soft words bringing me back to reality.

Turning back to him, I saw that his eyes were shining brightly in the light of the bonfire, making me see reflections of the flames flying here and there; the sparks every few minutes erupted, making him look ever so insinuatingly mysterious and beautiful. The way his skin glowed in the heat, those deep turquoise eyes of gold, those lips—full, moist, and slightly parted…

"Mmm," I said, not quite sure what I was replying to.

"Hey, Daph," he said, his face coming closer each moment.

"Hmm?" I hummed, barely even slightly aware of anything else around us.

"Did anyone ever tell you that your hair shines in the faint moonlight—smelling of summer roses?" he asked in a soft tone; his voice was calm and smooth, leaving me completely speechless as I stared hopelessly into his deep now-blue eyes. So beautiful…

Finally, I regained enough conscience to utter a single syllable.

"No…"

"Well, it's true," he whispered before leaning in, closer still. "And your eyes; full of spirit and life, sparkling like stars in the midnight sky…"

"Really," I asked, flabbergasted yet wondering whether the talk was from his heart or the drink.

"Really," he assured me, and suddenly, those soft lips were on mine, pressing gently and guiding mine until our lips were slowly gliding against one another as we took in short breaths here and there. He tasted of strawberries and smelt faintly of woods.

Most people say you're first kiss is magical—filled with excitement and the first sparks of love. Or like. Whatever.

But still, it was heaven.

~*~*~

I twisted, tumbled, and turned, contemplating the week's current events…like Devin's sweet kiss. But concentrating more on the problem at hand.

_Where in the world could Jane have disappeared off to?_

_And what about the necklace I found in the woods? The one so similar to Moth's..._

_Could there possibly be any tie between the necklace and Jane?_

_Could Moth have possibly escaped out of the Fae Republic prisons and traveled all the way here, just to kidnap innocent campers?_

_But why would she even do that? Why here?_

_Is she following me...?_

_Why not Sabrina? Or Puck? Not meaning to wish misfortune elsewhere—to my sister and my soon-to-be brother-in-law, no less. _

_But why me?_

After a while, I hear the cabin door open and footsteps on their way to the cots.

"Rise and shine, nerd herd! Melanie's taking attendance down at breakfast and said everyone has to be there, even you, dorks." Ugh, Nikki.

"Whaaa...?" Reem asked, obviously annoyed at being woken up so early.

"Nikki, you have no right to just barge in here—" Tess began.

"Yuh-huh, Tait. As the head counselor said, this is a serious deal. Little Jane's not the only one absent anymore."

"What do you mean?" my curious self asked.

"Oh, havent you heard?"

"Get to the point—" Tess warned.

"Fine, geez. Well, the word's going around that your older brother somehow disappeared last night," Nikki said with a smirk. "So get your lazy dork butts to the Main Caf or else you'll be marked missing which'll tick the officers off a whole ton after finding you just asleep in your cabin. Maybe then you'll be suspended to the isolated cabin and the world will be a happy place again." She giggled.

"You know what, Nikki, go to hell," Reem grumbled from under her pillow.

"Actually, the flight was all booked up and I winded up here instead," Nikki replied in a playful tone. "Way worse, if you ask me. That is, after you got here..."

"Nikki, please; just leave. Thanks for the notice; we'll be down in a minute," Tess mumbled, always the peacemaker—though I noticed how she got a little edgier since hearing about Chris' disappearance.

"Fine, then. And sorry about your beauty sleep, Reem. Not like it's gunna help any..." the blond murmured under her breath with a giggle before exiting. I couldn't help noticing that her eyes had flashed when she saw the necklace I had clumsily put aside on the dresser last night. I'd been thinking about it for days, ever since I found it the day Jane disappeared.

But I wondered what was up with Nikki…

_Jealous?_

_Or does she recognize it, too?_

~*~*~

Tess, Reem, and I found a table with Devin, Josh, and the other guys and ate breakfast while discussing where Jane and Chris could've disappeared off to.

Jay thought they were abducted by aliens, Reem thought they were having an affair, and Hoa had the strange graphic impression of death by grizzly.

"But Reem, it can't be considered an affair if their not married or even with other people," interjected Jay. "So obviously, the aliens took them."

"Jay," I started off. "You know there're no such things as—"

"Oh, yes there are," he cut in with a head bob, eyebrows high on his forehead. "If there weren't, then explain the Great Pyramids."

"And the Great Wall of China," Hoa added. "Though, I still definitely say they were eaten by bears."

"Heaven forbid," Tess mumbled. I noticed she hadn't eaten and was sitting at the edge of the table, picking at a waffle Josh had offered her. Every couple minutes or so, she was running off to take a call—no doubt from her parents, worrying about their first-born. "I just hope they find them before something does happen..." she trailed off.

After all our names were checked off by a few adults, we were free to partake in any of the usual activities while staying on the lookout for any clues for the whereabouts of the missing teens. So the gang decided to split up into teams—Tess and Reem, Josh and Jay, Rizzo and Hoa, and Devin and I.

As I followed Devin out the caf, I noticed he seemed a bit edgy throughout the whole morning. A bit like Nikki was when I saw her with the other two blond clones earlier. He also seemed to have no memory of the previous day and our kiss whatsoever. Or maybe he was just avoiding it.

"Hey, Devin," I said between breaths, tying to keep up with his long legs. "...Where…are we…going?"

"_We_ are not going anywhere," he said, without looking back once. "_I_ am going to look around in the forest, while _you_ are going to the Liberry where you'll help Tess and Reem."

The "Liberry", by the way, is the camp's weird idea of a library/juice bar combination. "Library" with "berries", get it? Hardy-har.

"But, Devin," I started. No way was I going there—the Liberrian was a college-age lesbian who kept batting her eye-lashes at me the one time I dared a trip out of interest to help Jane out. Creepy, let me tell ya. No offenses to any homosexuals, but the flirty ones seriously freak me out. "Why can't I—"

"No arguments, Daph," he cut in. "Seriously. This isn't something you'll regret." Wondering what in the world he meant, I decided not to try and change his mind, since I've learned that he's one of those people that don't give in easily. Instead, I had a better idea.

"Well, where are you gonna—"

"Around," he cut in again, looking left and right every couple seconds. Then, so suddenly that I almost missed it, he slipped behind one of the port-a-potties and entered the woods. Finding my surroundings empty, I waited a few seconds then followed suite, quickly and quietly.

Why? I had no idea. Intuition, some call it.

I felt something secretive—something off.

So I followed.

~*~*~

After a while of speed-walking through the forest after Devin, I nearly lost him a couple times due to my stupid idea of trying to keep distance lest I get caught. Finally, he stopped in front of a tree. Though I had no idea why—the tree was exactly the same as all the others we passed about a million times.

Then I saw it.

A smear of blood on one of the lower branches.

As always, the usual thoughts invaded my mind.

_Does this have anything to do with Jane or Chris?_

_But...no. It could just be from a wounded animal._

_Right?_

Then, suddenly, Devin put his face up to the bloody bark and took a really long sniff. Literally. _What, does he have a dog's sense of smell now, too?_

"Daphne, I know you're out there," he said, as he turned around and met my eyes.

_Caught, red-handed._

"Better come out before those grizzlies get you," he warned before stepping closer to me.

"I didn't mean to follow you," I started, stepping out from behind a tree. "I was just...on my way to the bathroom. Heheh. Do you know where they keep the port-a-potties?" I asked, sheepishly.

"Daph," he began with a sigh. I noticed that his eyes were a different color than they were before. Looking closer I realized they were a glowing caramel blue. Weird. "Why did you follow me?"

"I…I guess I was curious," I admitted.

"And what did you expect to find? Me, escaping on a helicopter from the scene of the crime?" he mocked.

"Crime? What crime?" I asked, flabbergasted. Then I slowly drew a conclusion."You mean…Jane and Chris were killed?"

"At last, she figures it out. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause!" he shouted into the silence of the trees before letting out a laugh that didn't quite reach his eyes.

A slightly bit hurt at his mocking, I turned away. "So, what? Is it true? Do you admit to being the killer?" Rewarded by silence, I slowly suspected the worst—what he must have been hiding. With a shock, I gasped. "It's true, isn't it? You're the killer—you murdered Jane and Chris. Didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?!"

He frowned then looked down, avoiding eye-contact. Slowly he turned away and laid his head on the tree.

"You know, it's nice to see how much trust you put in me, Daph," he murmured.

"Don't call me that," I said through clenched teeth. "You have no right. I trusted you. And now what? I find out you're a killer. A killer, Devin!" I felt the tears start to rise as the heavens themselves began to trickle with tears. "Have you always been like this? Plotting innocent kids' deaths? Do you enjoy it, you killer? You sicko?!"

"Daphne—" he started.

"No. You don't have the right. I never want to see you again." I laughed coldly, tears running freely down my cheeks as I thought of how naïve I was for trusting him, maybe even starting to fall in love with him.

That was the last thing I said to my first kiss before I ran. _How could he ever have betrayed me like this?_

And yes, it was the last thing I said to his face.

To this very day.

* * *

**A/N: So...**

**Good? Bad? **

**Comments? Concerns?**

**Ideas? Advice?**

**Reviews...?**

**~Ly**


	16. Sweet Moonbeam

**Disclaimer: Sadly, both characters mentioned in this chapter belong to Mr. Buckley, no matter how much money I raise. Even though I never really mentioned any names…**

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_**16. Sweet Moonbeam**_

_**Hey, Soul Sister ~ Train **_

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**Narrator's point of view...**

He sat there, staring at her in anguish.

"Why the heck are you treating me like this?" he asked.

"I don't know," the girl replied, avoiding his eyes.

Looking back a couple minutes later, she noticed he was crying. _Rare tears of pain_, she thought. _But physical or emotional?_ That was the question.

"I thought today was supposed to be special," he murmured.

"So did I," the girl said as she watched him twirl a leaf in his fingertips. He had plucked it off the bush right beside the two, and now he threw it in demise on the adjacent cement. Again and again, he tore the leaved off, even buds if green now and then, and threw them at the ground in distant force. He looked so sad and alone, wondering how in the world this perfect day had turned so depressing and full of angering confusion.

As the girl stared off into the sunny sky, thinking how it felt so wrong for the sun to shine so brightly in certain circumstances while regretting her behavior this morning, the boy put his head in his hands, clutching his burning neck.

In pain?

Or confusion?

She had no clue.

Or maybe she did. She knew what should be done but she rarely had the guts to apologize to anyone, let alone the boy sitting merely a few inches away.

So what could she do?

Lay in wait, contemplating what to do?

For now, unfortunately.

_A few minutes more_, she promised herself.

Little did she know, it was sooner than she thought.

~*~*~

"Hey, what do you have to apologize for?" he asked, eyes twinkling with no trace of the recent discomfort except for the way he clutched his neck.

She mumbled an 'I don't know', looking away in embarrassment.

"Oh, really," he teased.

"Shut up," she snapped with a half-hearted punch; though he knew she said it lovingly as she gave in to his playful ways.

The boy lunged; his arms quickly encircled the unsuspecting girl as she laughed. And the next thing both knew, they were kissing under the sunny, cerulean sky with the birds twittering in delight. As tongues battled teasingly, she smiled under his touch and ran her fingers through his soft, golden hair.

"I love you," she murmured.

With her favorite lopsided grin, he repeated the proclamation.

And so, the couple continued on in their blissful morning; a perfect anniversary.

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**A/N: Aw, so sweet. Puckabrina's third anniversary since he asked her out a year after they defeated the Scarlet Hand. **

**So yeah. What did y'all think?**

**Seriously, though, please tell me cuz I'm starting to actually consider deleting this story from lack of reviews. Hey, so what if I'm selfish? Sue me, why dont ya; I got a wife and three kids. No, wait, dont sue me; I got a wife and three kids.**

**Ha, yeah, I know, I so stole that. Can't remember from exactly where, though... ****Help me out in a review? Or actually tell me what you thought about this chappy in the review...**

**Hey, I review for nearly all stories I read. So please do me the curtesy for reviewing? Pretty please? Or do you really want lack of reviews to be a contributing factor to my suicide which I'm planning at the end of this coming June. Though, dont worry; it's not set in stone yet. Still a moot point, debated in thoughts and forced to see reason by ramblings of a particulate _someone_ (you know who you are.) But whatevs. Que sera, sera. Or not. **

**Kk, please review. Or this story will tragically be cut off due to the author's lack of existance. **

**~Ly**


	17. Cinderela,Daphne White,or Sleeping Grimm

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Kind of tragic, actually. Depressing. Forlorn...**

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_**17. Cinderella, Daphne White, or Sleeping Grimm?**_

_**Decode ~ Paramore**_

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**Daphne's point of view...**

Heart broken, I run through the fresh rain. It started up only moments ago as I flew from the one who betrayed me. Behind the splashes my feet make as I run through the now-wet trail, I hear him calling for me. Again and again. Then I catch the faint howl of a wolf. Or dog. It's hard to tell. It sounds so forlorn--full of sadness or regret.

But hey, it could just be a howl. Like any other howl out there in the world--to be ignored or, more likely, feared.

Shaking my heavy head, I ignore Devin's cries along with the howls. Pushing even further, I make my way to the cabins in the slowly darkening camp grounds. Faintly recognizing the familiar number on the peeling green paint through my blurry vision, I enter the cabin and slam the door behind me, laying against it and breathing heavily as tears continue to plummet down my face.

Catching a glimpse of my reflection in the window opposite me, I see a drenched girl with her hair falling all over her face and dark, leaking eyes glowering from behind her stringy hair. Quickly, I look away, wiping at my face. But I know it's hopeless; the situation closely resembles a version of Cinderella, when the stepmother ordered Cindy to do impossible chores. That's what this is like—it's like trying to empty the ocean with a spoon. A spoon with a hole through it, no less.

'Cause that's what I am now, I thought. A spoon with a hole through it. And no fairy godmother to fix me up.

It's now that I realize the truth. Life isn't a fairy tale, no matter how many dreams you hope come true.

As I make my way up the stairs to the bedroom, I try to ignore the aching hole in my chest along with the annoying lump in my throat. When the bed finally reaches sight, I run for my safe haven and collapse on the mattress in defeat. Afterwards, thinking of it, I don't know how long I lay there, trying to shut out the world and go back to happier times. Like our kiss…

_But, no. I mustn't think of that. I mustn't think of him at all, or the way his lips felt against mine, his sweet strawberry taste, his deep scent of woods, his—_

No; forget him. Forget him and you'll be better off.

_Oh, Daphne, what would Brina say if she was here right now? Fallen in love with a murderer wasn't such a good idea, was it?_

Ha, if only I knew ahead of time. If only; then I wouldn't be hurt as much. There wouldn't be this uncomfortable pain overtaking me.

_The thing I don't get is why. Why would he want to take the life of innocent students? Unless he didn't really do it… But no, of course he did. Right?_

All of a sudden, I wasn't so sure anymore.

But the next thing I knew, sleep had overtaken me, leaving me in a state of perpetual peace, save for the occasional short dreams of _him_...

~*~*~

Suddenly, I hear a knock at the door and a voice softly calling my name.

"Grimm?"

Thinking it's surely Devin trying to "explain" again, I'm automatically defensive. "Go away." Though, I certainly didn't meant for my voice to come out so distorted and weak.

"It's okay, it's just me." I turn my head at the faintly familiar voice and find myself looking up into a pair of big brown eyes with large, dark lashes staring back at me.

"Rizzo, what are you doing here?" I ask in defeat as I pull my pillow over my head, expecting his annoying self to start teasing me, or worse—try to force himself on me again.

"Lookin for you, duh." He chuckled. "Everyone thought you were the next one gone since no one's seen you for hours."

"Hours? What?!" I look for the digital clock Tess had installed in the wall (supposedly, the Taits come from a rich family) but can't find it. Weird.

"It's nearly 6 pm," Rizzo supplies then laughes at my stunned expression. "Yeah, you've slept pretty damn long, Grimm."

"Whatever," I murmur, starting to get sick and tired of him. "Just… Ugh, that still doesn't even explain why you're here, Rizzo."

"Um, hello? I thought I just explained this. What, you expected wolf boy to come to the rescue?" he mockes in a scornful tone.

"Wolf boy? What are you talking about?" Confusion overtakes me as I move the pillow away and stare back into his eyes.

"Oh, nothing. Apparently, he hasn't found time to tell you yet," murmures the Indian. "Well, supposedly, he doesn't tell too many people. Ha, me and Reem found out the hard way, lemme tell ya. Nearly took a peace of my sister, he did. Back when they were a thing, last year. Good thing I barged in on time…"

"Rizzo, what in the world are you talking about?"

"Don't you know?"

I shake my head, not the least bit expecting this weird, new Rizzo.

"Ask Scotty," he says.

"Jay?" Extremely baffled, I watch a smile light the boy's dark face.

"Hell, I hope G I Joe don't got nothing up his sleeve, too," he replies. "Nah, not that Scott. I meant the British Scot. What's his face; O'Faolain."

"Devin?" I ask, perplexed. Obviously, I'm thinking he's making all of this up for some reason or another. A practical joke or something. Or maybe not so practical.

"Took you long enough." We both turn around at the new voice with the soft Brittish accent.

Devin.

He lies against the banister with droplets of water constantly dropping from his hair; his expression's grim and his body stiff.

"Sleeping Beauty finally awaken from her slumber? Or is it Snow White, asleep until the seven dwarfs find she's invaded their home?"

"What the heck are you talking about?" My own voice surprises me. It's so cold, mixed with anger and distance.

"This is our cabin, missy," he replies.

"Nuh-uh," I insist, though I become less and less sure after taking a complete look at my surroundings. It's almost exactly like G-6 except for the messiness and different color scheme. The only way I could've thought both were the same was through my unobservant state of depression and damage…which was supposedly a couple hours ago.

Well, hell.

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**A/N: Good? Bad? Hate it? Love it? Review?**

**By the way, great thanks goes to Lara D. Meaning, t****hanks so much for your reviews, telling me what you thought, and even liking the story. Seriously, your feedback is greatly appreciated. ****Also, thanks to 12grimmfan21. You guys' reviews really mean a lot, even if it's just a few words.**

**~Ly**


	18. Of Snickers, Night Patrons, and Twilight

**Disclaimer: I own the plot and my OC's. All else is Michael Buckley's...to have and behold, in sickness and in health, till death do thee part--Heaven forbid; till even after... ^^**

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_**18. Of Snicker Bars, Night Patrons, and Twilight**_

_**Red Sam ~ Flyleaf**_

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**Daphne's point of view...**

**PREVIOUSLY: **"This is our cabin, missy," he replies.

"Nuh-uh," I insist, though I become less and less sure after taking a complete look at my surroundings. It's almost exactly like G-6 except for the messiness and different color scheme. The only way I could've thought both were the same was through my unobservant state of depression and damage…which was supposedly a couple hours ago.

Well, hell.

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**Devin's point of view...**

She lies there on my bed, looking like a princess just awoken. Her cheeks are rosy pink as blush creeps into them after my bold statement.

"I--I'm sorry; I didn't know--I mean, I didn't realize," she stammers, avoiding eye-contact and looking towards Rizzo for help. Even though she tries hard to mask her emotions, her big brown eyes give away a look of confusion and loss. Unwanted anger arrises from the pit of my heart; why would she seek comfort from that asshole? Excuse my language, as Uncle Danny would say.

"It's fine, Daphne; Rizzo'll just go tell the others we found you," I say, giving the jerk his leave and sending him a look Nikki had dubbed as the Death Glare of Invisible Knives. Talk about original. Nonetheless, no one can rightfully deny the Alpha's command.

I notice his shoulders slump a bit; the sign indicates defeat. Richard, you see, had his own opinions of who caused the murders and let us just say they partly run along the same line as Daphne's. But he knows that if he tries to argue, he'll never win.

And so, Rizzo gives my angel a quick hug before heading towards the door to exit, just as ordered. Good boy; you know your place.

"So you're leaving me...here..." Daph fades off, though it's quite obvious what the end of the statement was to have been; "with him?!" Her eyes make it seem as if she doesn't trust me; she looks as if she suspects me of murdering her if we were left alone. Oh, love, how thwarted you're mind's been; the truth is right around the corner yet you fail to spot it; you're blinded by old rivalries and hatred, false suspicions and accusations.

"Don't worry, Daphne. Here, take this Snicker bar; you probably haven't had anything since breakfast this morning. Just eat it. Dont worry; everything'll be fine," Rizzo assures her before giving me his own death glare--as if threatening to kill me if I did the same as I did with Reem. But who's he trying to kid; I'd never allow myself to loose control ever in the same way, especially with my angel. Nonetheless, he closes the door behind him even though it's quite apparent how he wants to stand his ground and keep me from my supposed next victim. Silly underling; you know you can't keep me away forever.

"So..." I start off with a sigh.

"I don't wanna hear it, Devin. So save the talking for someone who gives a shit," Daphne cuts in as she tore her Snicker bar open, silencing me in shock and slight hurt for only a minute.

"Picked up a few choice words from Rizzo, have you?" I feel my nose wrinkle in displeasure.

"What's it to you?" she asks, chewing on peanuts and carmel, instantly on defense.

"Nothing at all, love. I just don't like the way he was making--what you Americans call--'goo-goo' eyes at you, looking at you like a fruit he can unpeal with his eyes--"

"Look who's talking," the angel mutters, though I can't help but notice a faint blush creep up her cheeks from my casual use of 'love'. "What do you have against him, anyways?"

"Richard? Well, he's a right foul git and he knows it, yet he still chooses to waltz around, still recycling girls more than plastic water bottles. I mean, I think I'd know since we've known each other for ages."

"Ages? I thought him and Reem just transfered a year ago from India," Daph says before throwing the bar's wrapper in the nearby trashcan, a look of suspicion etched across her face.

"Yes, well, you shouldn't believe everything you hear..." I mutter.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I sigh. "I guess I have to start at the beginning, now, don't I?"

"Well, it would be highly appreciated," she replies in sarcasm.

I ignore her tone. "You see, all this started way back when in the medieval ages and times of war. The people of Scottland in those days had an old legend about a hero who would deliver them from the torturous times of the malevolent King Brogan IV--a king who's ways were considered even harsher than Nottigham's Prince John in the stories of Robin Hood."

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**Daphne's point of view...**

I think of the outlaw's current fortune, how he and Little John are now defending criminals in a law firm. I decide to keep my mouth shut in case Devin turns out like Goldi and nearly kills people from just an interruption. Though the main reason for my remaining descrete is the obvious fact that all normal humans think Robin Hood is just a fairy tale. But then, didn't Rizzo say something about--

"The king's people were considered more as servants and even slaves," Devin continues. "They were confined to the gallows or sentenced to the guillotine if they commited crimes even as petty and trifle as missing their taxes or even speaking ill of the royal name. But the people of Scoti Coniunctum--a land of Gaels now divided into Scotland and Ireland--had a prophecy of a hero called Donnelly Ó Faoláin who would someday free them all from slavery and dictatorship. The prophecy was in a poem, and roughly translated from Gaelic, it would be...

The day shall come  
The hour is near  
Wait for the New Moon  
It signals a new beginning

The hero shall come  
The Dark Brave One, Of Wolf

Where Heavens meet Earth  
He shall emerge  
Let the King of Evil feel his rath

Days of deliverance  
Days of liberation  
Spent in freedom and joy

The Dark Brave One cometh  
By the shine of the Great Moon  
She who giveth and she who taketh away."

**

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**

Devin's point of view...

"He has your last name," Daphne says. "So... What, are you, like, his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great--"

"Your point?" I ask, quite amused by her look of mystified confusion.

She clears her throat "Are you supposed to be his descendant or something? Like, is he your ancestor? Since you're Scottish and everything? Hold up, did the Donald guy--"

"Donnelly," I correct.

"Yeah, him; did he even come yet?" Daphne asks, eyes transfixed in mine. I avoid her question, urging her to guess with a slight smile. "He did, 'cause the Middle Ages were a while ago, right? Like, in the 1200's or something..."

"Actually, the Middle Ages lasted from approximatel the 5th century till around the 15th. But you're right, the Dark Brave One of Wolf did come to free his people; however, it wasn't like anything the Gaels were expecting. You see, Donnelly Ó Faoláin was his namesake--a dark brave one and one of wolf, meaning yes, the deliverer was a werewolf who overthrew King Brogan with his band of outlaws."

"Wolf," she murmurs to herself then suddenly asks, "So you're saying Donnelly killed him?" Her eyes are wide in fear and curiosity.

"Unfortunately, yes," I explain. "That is why he was blessed and cursed by the goddess Moon. He wasn't a werewolf when he defeated the evil king, but he did worship the Great Moon--the goddess of the wolves--like many others. Many of the Moon's worshippers were often burned at the stake in later times, like in the Salem Witchtrial. You might have heard about that..."

"Yeah, the witches..." she says, eyes far off.

"Well, the Great Moon is a peaceful goddess and doesn't like taking the life of any being--be he good or evil. But because of freeing Her people, the Moon had to bless the hero and his friends out of gratitude and yet had to curse them in order for them to pay dearly for the life they took. And what you see before you now was Her solution..." I say, guesturing towards myself as I transform into my other form.

I feel my bones gradually dislocating and black fur tearing our of my skin; my hide, as dark as night, now covers me. I know, even without feeling my teeth with my tongue, that they're sharpening and growing out in both length and width as my nails grow out into claws.

"Patrons of the Night we're called--serving our Goddess forever and paying the cost of the haste desicion of one brave yet foolish man."

"Oh, my..." the fair girl mutters as she bites down hard on her palm and squeals before falling back onto my bed, eyes to the ceiling. "How long have you been a...you know," she asks.

"A werewolf. It's all right to say it, you know. It's not tabood or anything. But to answer your question...longer than you may think..." I let the whisper escape through my canines without making it seem like a growl. Truthfully, the knowledge of this curse angered me for I knew I would never have peace in this world until death came knocking at my door.

"You're not gonna go all Edward Cullen on me and make me find out you're a century old, are you?" she grumbles with her palm still slightly in her mouth. I supose it's a familiar guesture for her, the only one she can depend on in this new world of secrets.

I bark since laughing isn't really an option in my current form. "Of course not, you don't know how much of a dickhead that Cullen is, leavin that human pet of his to trail after him like a lost puppy throughout the whole series."

"You actually read those books?" the girl on the bed asks in shock, but still not looking up to meet my eyes.

"No," I answer in all honesty. "I avoid those books like the plague. Though one thing I couldn't avoid for long is the insufferable blabbering of Nikki and Ania. So, unfortunately, I am sadly well-informed of those books."

The angel giggles softly. "They are good books though; the pure love between Bella and Edward is so sweet and breathtaking and their romance is one of the best I've read by far."

"Surely you don't really mean that," I tease. Oh, laugh again bright angel, I think--editing Shakespeare.

And she does. Then Daphne looks me right in the eye and says, "I trust you, Devin. I don't know why but I do. I still have doubts about you and you may be a mass murderer for all I know, but I know you won't hurt me, right?" Her big moon eyes shine brightly as she says this, staring right through my shriveled soul.

"Never," I confirm as I slowly make my way towards her then give her a lick over her cherubic face. Again, she giggles in delight as she tries to turn her head away. "Down, doggie. Down boy," she cries.

Laughing along with her, I will my body to change back and end up kneeling in front of the bed in order to shield my private parts from her innocent eyes. One not-so-good after-effect of transformation is the fact that your clothes never reappear after you change back. I once thought they disappear off to an island where all lost things go but Uncle Danny later told me of how worn items before one's transformation are disintegrated and broken down into tiny, seperate atoms that become a small contribute to any mound of dirt, scattered all over the earth, paying back a small portion of what one had taken from this world.

Nevertheless, encouraged by her continuous giggles, I shake my jet black hair out of my eyes and bend my head down to hers, planting a gently kiss on her rosy lips. I put into mind for the future that she tasted of sesame seeds and chocolate. Who knew how long we would have together? If only...

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**A/N: At least 10 reviews and I'll update. And please review cuz I'm really looking forward to tellin you guys everthing. I even gots the ending chapter all done :)**

**By the way, thanks to everyone who reviewed; I sincerely appreciate it ;]**

**~Ly**


	19. Home for Christmas

**Disclaimer: I own the plot and my OC's. All else is Michael Buckley's...  
****A/N: sorry for the pro-longed absence :/ hope this makes up for it :)**

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_**19. Home for Christmas**_

**_Wishlist ~ The Ready Set_**

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**Narrator's point of view...**

_Snowbird, trying ribbons up in your hair, wishing that I could be there, stay awake, stay aware. 'Cause I'll try to stay awake throughout the night, and I will chase the sun in flight till I'm there, I'll be there…_

Yet still no ring of the bell. No knock at the door. No footsteps to announce his presence. Nothing.

She'd been awaiting his arrival for quite some time now, holding onto the promise they'd made a while back.

Keeping up contact with miles of distance in between proved challenging. Yet what other choice did they have?

Winter finally came, and his promise hang in the air. Yet where was he, at this hour of need? This day of joyful celebration, of christmas spirit, of families, of love. Yet he was nowhere to be found.

Chestnuts roasted by an open fire, in hollow spirit. Struggling to keep warm in empty blankets, she continued looking out her wind ow with faint hope as billions and trillions of snowflakes made their descent t o the ground, covering the world with a soft, white blanket.

The snow gradually began to linger in the air rather than continue its hastening across the sky. Eventually, dusk broke out, masking the skies in darkness. The fire's warm glow kept light in the atmosphere, yet she had nothing to which she could hold dear. Spying a flurry of a shooting star across the sky, she closed her eyes and dared a whispered wish. Yet she should have known better. Why aim with such high spirits w hen you're sure to be rejected by the world?

_I've got time, 24 hours , waiting for the go ahead from the tower. If I had just one wish, get me home for Christmas…_

Wonder of wonders, sh e was then brought out of her melancholy thoughts by the sound of a jingle of keys—bringing her to her feet—followed by footsteps hurriedly ascending the staircase, simultaneous to the anxious beating of her heart.

And suddenly she was engulfed in his arms, breathing in his scent of peppermint and pine, eyes shut tight and holding on for dear life. Words of endearment passed. But to her, it meant nothing. Words couldn't capture what lay enveloped inside her heart. Looking deep within her, she felt warmth, yet not of the physical type. Finally he was home. Finally she was complete. Finally…it felt like Christmas.

Loosening his hold, he turned her head towards him and a soft smile lit up her pale face. Brushing a stray golden lock tenderly behind her ear, he kissed her cheek gently, causing a rosy blush of color to rise.

Time passed a nd they now sat enveloped in blankets at the window, the very spot in which she 'd felt lonely mere minutes before. More words passed as he told her of his travels and wonders in every city, yet in each and every one , thoughts of her still filled his mind. With a sigh, she fell even further into his arms, causing them to tighten their hold around her, never letting go. Fingers intertwined, they lay there, enjoying the other's presence, dreading time of departure. For every rainbow fades out…

But for now, enjoying the moment at hand was their utmost priority.

Gradually, darkness grew even heavier yet the fire's fervent glow kept them awake as she told him of missed events and occurances. Yet she was only filling a peaceful serenity with unnecessary words. Subtly, he silenced her with a kiss, bringing her even closer as the atmosphere grew colder.

As the sky cleared out, they were rewarded with a sight of the full moon, bearing its light on all. It shone through as candle-light dimmed, leaving the two in peaceful reunion. If only for a moment…


	20. Gone

**Disclaimer: I own nothing xcept OC's and such. Duh  
****A/N: Great appreciation for reviews. **

**20. Gone**

**Tell Me Goodbye - Bigbang**

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******Previously:** Nevertheless, encouraged by her continuous giggles, I shake my jet black hair out of my eyes and bend my head down to hers, planting a gently kiss on her rosy lips. I put into mind for the future that she tasted of sesame seeds and chocolate. Who knew how long we would have together? If only...

**Narrator's point of view...**

_P__lease don't be upset._

_This for the best._

_-D_

She found this on her bedside table in the morning, scrawled in Devin's neat yet seemingly hurried handwriting. Heart beating fast, Daphne rushed to the guys' nearby cabin in pj's and boots, knocking breathlessly before stomping right through.

Even as she cried out his name helplessly, her head kept her from hoping, kept telling her it was already too late.

"Haven't seen him since last night," Josh said, already having been awaken and having his morning coffee. "Can I offer you a drink?"

Ignoring him, Daphne ran up the steps, not daring to believe he'd gone.

"Came to see me so soon?" Rizzo teased, a sparkle in his dark eyes.

"Not now, pervert." No time for nonsense. He has to be here. He just has to...

But alas, as she finally reach the bed she'd been hoping to somehow miraculously hold his hunched, sleeping form, realization hit like an icy wave of truth; he was gone. The only thing left was an empty bed refecting such somber solemnity that no one if their right mind could ever have thought to disturb...

It struck her odd that not even a mere mouse dare crawl even a mere foot towards it, as if some sort of barrier lay between them. No, not a barrier-a difference. But of what kind? And why in heaven's name was she worrying about the absence of mice when she had so many other things to worry about? And yet, it was rather peculiar how-

"You've missed him by...oh, about an hour or so, give or take." A soft voice, unfamiliar and strangely distant.

She couldn't bear turning, couldn't bear tearing her eyes away from the last place she knew him to be. With every second she felt more hollow, more empty, as if the only light in her darkness was snuffed out. Looking back on the past couple days, it seemed like pure bliss, as if the world had finally given her something good to hold on to.

And hold on to it she did.

Daphne treasured every moment with Devin. Every dream expressed, every laugh rejoiced, every kiss shared, every cry comforted, every right and wrong they exposed to the light. So much feelings pouring out like tears from her heart that she couldn't bear to think she'd lost it all-lost the only good thing she'd gotten ahold of.

The only good thing given to her, to _her_, Daphne Grimm, belonging to no one but herself, not taken over by Sabrina or worn to bits by Andy, or chewed over by someone's dog-heaven knows whose.

No. Hers.

With this new revelation, Daphne was hit with a sudden pang, letting go her hold of security, of sanity, of logic, of reason...and just...succumbed to the emptiness within her. She felt the world fall by, twist and twirl as if changing itself to morph into her Wonderland...and she-it's Alice.

A soft bed beneath her. Murmured whispers in her ear. Caresses of her muddled form. Gentle strokes of her surely tangled hair.

And a voice. One sole voice that she'd deemed unfamiliar in some daze.

Chris.

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**A/N: CLIFFHANGERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR ;D**

**if you even get it ._. aha xD**

**Well thanks for the support and i hope this wasn't too little.**

**MORE TO COME ;D**

**~Ly**


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